Because We're Partners
by myshoesarecrocs
Summary: Bakugou hated the idea of a class reunion, but listening to Kirishima complain that he wasn't coming, was worse. On top of that, his two-year hero agency partner was transferring. Being able to survive the class reunion was one thing, but being able to survive his new partner was completely different. What did Bakugou ever do to deserve this? A Kacchako fanfic!
1. Fuck Class Reunions

If there was one thing Bakugou hated, it was fucking get-togethers. Who even came up with the idea of having a party with a whole shit-ton of people for fun? Especially a shit-ton of people who were annoying as hell. The idea of seeing any of his former classmates gave him a pounding headache. What was he supposed to do, show up to the bar and pretend to be happy to see any of them? That was definitely not how he rolled.

Bakugou had been psyched to graduate UA and never see any of his classmates, aside from Kirishima, again. So how in the hell was it possible for him to receive an invitation to their five-year class reunion? Five years wasn't nearly enough. Most of them saw each other daily anyway, what did they need a class reunion for? Fucking morons.

The only people Bakugou really cared about from his class, was spikey-hair and his girlfriend pinky. Really the only reason Mina was involved in that sentence was because she was dating Kirishima, so don't get the wrong idea. Kirishima was easy to tolerate, even though he pushed Bakugou's buttons daily. It was also hard to avoid him, being that the two worked at the same hero agency. Bakugou would rather cut off both of his arms and eat them, than admit it, but he was happy they both landed the same job. People still looked at him like he was a villain for the way he acted, not that he gave a shit, but Kirishima acted as the mediator and cooled everyone's jets about it.

So yeah, Kirishima and Mina were fine. Everyone else could fuck off for all he cared, along with their stupid class reunion.

But Kirishima, that fricken asshole, purposely hunted Bakugou down the day after he received the invitation. As if rising up out of the depths of hell, the red-haired hero pounced on him in the gym. Bakugou was having a light jog on the treadmill when Kirishima took up the one next to him, smiling as he did. Immediately he knew the bastard was up to no good, and when he turned and opened his mouth, Bakugou knew it was going to be nothing but shit that came out of it.

"You going to the class reunion?"

Oh, he fucking knew it, he just _knew_ Kirishima was going to ask him. Shooting him a glare that could ice over hell, Bakugou said, "Fuck that."

"Come on," Kirishima drew out 'on', "it'll be fun to see everyone again."

"Our definitions of fun are very different."

"Don't you want the opportunity to scream at Midoriya like the old days?" Kirishima asked with a grin, "It wouldn't be a class reunion without it."

That…almost worked. "I don't even want to look at that worthless pile of shit." Bakugou snapped, "I want to puke just thinking about it."

"Then come hang out with me and Mina."

"I'd rather die."

Kirishima sighed, looking slightly defeated, and then grinned. It was the grin of a real villain, one with a last-ditch effort that was so powerful it just might work. With a shrug, Kirishima turned away from him and said, "Fine, fine, don't come," He paused, and Bakugou knew the hammer was about to drop, "but Uraraka will be there."

Oh god, it was more powerful than Bakugou had anticipated. Nearly tripping on the treadmill, he put his feet on the sides to steady himself and clenched his fist, shouting, "Who gives a flying fuck? I could care less that she or anyone else are going!"

Kirishima, the bastard, only smiled, "Geez, why are you getting so angry? All I said is that Uraraka will be there."

"Say it one more time and I'll punch you into next week."

"Say what again? You mean…Uraraka will be there?"

"You fucking-" Bakugou took a deep breath, trying to quell the fiery anger that was swirling in his chest. He'd really been working on anger management lately, and had gone a full week without an outburst that made someone cry, and he'd be damned if he was going to ruin that streak now. "Let's get one thing straight, hard-on, I don't care about our class, their fucking stupid-ass reunion, or about Uraraka. I'm not going. I have better things to do than listen to their shit."

"Uh, you're such a debbie-downer." Kirishima groaned, "Would it really kill you to get out for once? All you do is work, sleep, and work out. That can't be good for you. Have a little fun for once. Get a girlfriend. You can't tell me that you aren't pent up, if you know what I mean."

That week-long streak he had was beginning to look easy to break, "I am not talking to you about this."

"About what?" Kirishima prodded, jogging along on his treadmill like he was strolling through the park, "The fact that you're still-"

"Don't you dare fucking say it-"

"A virgin?"

"I'm leaving." Bakugou said pointedly, powering down his treadmill.

"Oh, did I huwt wittle Bakugow's feewings?" Kirishima said patronizingly, rubbing his cheeks to wipe away mock tears.

"Are you asking to die, you fuck?" Bakugou growled, a round of explosions lighting up his clenched fists, "Because I'm close to lighting your ass up."

Kirishima looked at his display unimpressed, "I'm real afraid of those Christmas lights, Bakugou, really, I'm shaking in my boots. Just come to the damn class-reunion."

Stomping out of the gym, Bakugou turned back and shouted, "Like hell!"

That fucking spikey-haired bastard. He really knew how to get on Bakugou's last nerve. His blood was pumping dangerously hot, and he had the thought that he needed to get some water, when he saw his partner, Saiko. She was a decently strong water-user, of course not as strong as him, but someone he didn't mind fighting with. All he really knew about her was that she liked dolphins for some weird fucking reason.

"Hey, Katsuki, we need to talk-"

"Shut it, dolphin face!" He snapped at her, making her flinch, but she knew better than to feel bad about it. They'd been partners for two years, and she'd seen every side of him that he made available to the general public. She had also taken the brunt of some of his most soul-crushing outbursts, not even blinking as he called her a useless person well over a dozen times.

"Geez, what crawled up your butt?" She muttered, making him pause in the hall, "Just an hour ago you were fine."

"What. Do. You. Want?" He breathed, turning around to emphasize 'want' with knife-hands.

Her light demeanor shifted, making Bakugou sober up a little, "Well, I…just got transferred."

For the first time in a long time, Bakugou felt like he got hit with a ton of bricks. What? Transferred? Since when? "Transferred?"

"Yeah, remember how I told you I wanted to head over to A City?" She asked, and he analyzed every formula to try and remember when she'd ever mentioned it, "Of course you don't. Well, XXX just had an opening in his agency, and I applied for it."

"Whoa, whoa, wait a fucking minute." He put his hands on his hips, "You applied without telling me?"

Saiko smiled softly, bowing her head, "I'm sorry, Katsuki, but this is the best for me. It's closer to my family and in the agency I've always wanted to work at. It was kind of a last-minute decision. It's nothing personal, I just wanted to let you know that. You're a handful, but I really did enjoy working with you. Not a lot of people really understand what you're all about, but I've seen you jump into a burning building to save a kid without a second thought. I know you have the potential to become a great hero, so keep going, okay?"

"Yeah," He looked away from her, "I didn't need you to tell me that."

"And try not to be hard on your next partner." Saiko folded her arms across her chest, "You have a knack for saying things that I don't think you really mean, and then you can't bring yourself to say sorry."

"When are you leaving?"

"Today's my last day."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" He knew his eyebrows were practically knitted together, "How long ago did you get hired over there?"

"Last week."

"And you didn't even tell me until today." He turned around to continue down the hall, jamming his hands in his pockets, "Whatever, I don't even care. You were a useless partner anyway. Have fun eating shit as a rookie over there."

Saiko watched his back and smiled to herself. There he went again. "I just want you to know, Katsuki, I'll always consider you a friend!"

He refused to feel bad about this. He refused. Saiko was just someone who got assigned to him, he didn't even like her. But…aside from Kirishima, he didn't hate being in the same room with her. She tolerated his bullshit and defused situations his temper got him in out in the field. They made a good team, so why? Why didn't she fucking tell him? And why did he feel like he'd been betrayed? They weren't…they weren't even friends!

 _I'll always consider you a friend!_

Fuck that.

Sulking to the cafeteria, he angrily shoveled a bowl of noodles into his mouth, glaring at anyone who came within ten feet of him. If it wasn't for Kirishima, his mood probably wouldn't have been so sour, but that mixed with Saiko leaving really made him pissed off. If that wasn't bad enough, he still had the stupid class reunion over his head. Why was that even bothering him?

He continued to slouch his way through the day, and the rest of the week at that. Saiko was gone when he came back the next day, her space completely cleaned out. The hero he worked for, Blade, known for his ability to turn his limbs into swords, had told him to lay low for the week. He was working on finding a new partner, so until he did, Bakugou could just hang out. If there was any particularly strong villain, then he could go out.

Not having any work to do was a fucking drag. There were only so many times he could count the tiles on the ceiling in his cubicle. There were fifty-three, if you were wondering. And people-watching the normies outside, while meme-battling Kirishima, grew old after Wednesday. Later into the week, the gym always became crowded, because apparently villains had outside plans on the weekends and weren't on the move. So everyone and their fucking brother just _had_ to overcrowd Bakugou's only source of activity.

By Friday, he was nearly going insane, enough to actually think about going to his classmates' shitty reunion the next day. Throughout the week, Kirishima had been slowly chipping away his resolve, until they were walking down the hall and he had to listen to his friend blabbing on about it again. Gritting his teeth together, he finally turned to him and shouted, "For the love of god, Kirishima, fine! I'll fucking go if it makes you shut the hell up about it!"

"Really?" Kirishima looked wholeheartedly surprised, and then clapped him on the shoulder, "I knew you'd come around, buddy!"

"Don't call me that ever again."

"It was because of Uraraka, wasn't it?"

"Why are you so strung up on that?"

"You think I didn't catch you looking at her all the time?" Kirishima waggled his eyebrows, "And not to mention she's the only one whose posts you comment on on Facebook. You had the biggest crush on her in high school, don't even try to deny it."

"I'm denying it." Bakugou muttered.

"You can try all you want, but Mina and I know." Kirishima said, nudging him with his elbow, "Don't be late tomorrow!"

Bakugou ignored him, and arrived at the bar designated as the reunion spot, an hour late. Like hell was he going to show up early when not everyone was there yet, and have to listen to someone's life story since high school.

When he strode through the door at ten o'clock, the bar was surprisingly full. For a moment he didn't recognize anyone, and he wondered, and slightly hoped, he'd gotten the wrong address. But when a slim arm wrapped around his waist, and a pink face ducked in his field of vision, he knew he'd unfortunately got it right.

"Bakugou, you finally made it!" Mina Ashido, with her usual unbearable cheer, exclaimed, "We were beginning to think you wouldn't show up!"

He glared down at her, "I'm wishing I didn't, now, Pinky."

"Oh shut up," She said with a smile, tightening her embrace around him, and guided him further into the bar, "We're all sitting on the couches in back."

He allowed her to steer him to where she'd said, and tried to mentally prepare himself for the nightmare-inducing hell he was about to be thrown into. Immediately, Kaminari sprang to his feet and shouted, "Bakugou?"

"Fuck." He muttered under his breath, "What's up, sparky?"

"Holy shit, he actually came!" Kirishima said, raising his glass of alcohol from his seat on the couch to Bakugou's right, "Cheers!"

"Cheers!" Everyone shouted, and collectively took a drink. Kaminari was sitting next to Jiro, figures, and Yaoyorozu next to him. On the other side of Jiro, was Hagakure, talking excitedly to Tsuyu. On the couch next to them, Sero was sitting next to Kirishima and the space he saved for Mina. Opposite them, Todoroki sat stoically next to Deku and Iida, and Bakugou made a mental note to avoid that couch at all costs. Seated a few spots away were Shoji and Tokoyami, both looking like they were ready to leave.

In the back of his mind, Bakugou noted that Uraraka wasn't there, like Kirishima had told him one hundred and sixty-seven times that she would be.

"Where's your drink, dude?" Mina asked, eyeing his empty hands.

"You didn't let me get one." He said.

"Aw man," She grinned, "hurry up, you gotta catch up with all of us."

"Yeah, yeah, one drink and you're already done for, horn-head." He muttered, turning to head to the bar. He squeezed into a small opening, holding his hand up slightly to get the bartender's attention when they were done with the drink they were pouring. He waited for what seemed like forever, and was starting to lose his patience, when the person wedged against his back suddenly said, "Bakugou?"

He side-glanced down, meeting the soft brown gaze that momentarily disarmed him. One hundred and sixty-seven times wasn't nearly enough to prepare him to see her again. She had grown out her hair, the once short chestnut locks now pulled back into a high ponytail. Her chubby cheeks had slimmed down, along with her body, undoubtedly built with muscle. She had really grown into her adult body, and the rose-pink romper she was wearing didn't leave much to the imagination. "Well, well," He said, thanking whoever was upstairs that his voice didn't crack, "if it isn't round-face."

"Still giving everyone nicknames, I see." She muttered, "Do you even remember anyone's name?"

"Why do you think I have nicknames?"

"I figured." She said, and then, "Good luck trying to get a drink, I've been here for five minutes."

"It's because you're so short, he can't see you."

"I don't see him jumping to serve you either."

He hid a smirk. She was feistier than he remembered. The Uraraka he knew was always clumsy and shy, sputtering an apology every time he so much as looked at her. But this Uraraka, she was something new to him. Her eyes didn't look up at him questionably like they had, but rather challengingly, like she was daring him to snap at her.

He liked it.

Bakugou clicked his tongue, and then propped a foot onto the ledge of the bar, leaning over the counter to shout, "Hey barkeep! How long does it take to get a drink around here?"

A few heads turned in his direction, and the bartender shuffled down to him, "Sorry, sir, I didn't see you there."

"Whatever." He said, "I'll have a beer, and she'll have," He glanced down at Uraraka, who looked like a mouse caught in a trap, "what do you want, floaty?"

"You don't have to-"

"What. Do you want?" He demanded with thinning patience.

"Um, I'll have a long island, please." She said with a smile.

"Coming right up!" The bartender said.

Bakugou turned around so that they were facing each other, and Uraraka leaned an elbow on the bar, "You didn't have to buy my drink, it's expensive."

"Can't you just say thanks and get over it?" He asked, lazily flicking his gaze from her eyes down the length of her body, "What have you been doing since high school?"

"I joined an agency in A City, but it's such a long commute that I quit." Her cheeks turned a little pinker than before, "But I just got hired at a new agency. I start on Monday."

"Here's your drinks." The bartender said, sliding them across to Bakugou, who handed him the money, "Keep the change."

Giving Uraraka her drink, he said, "Wow, so even someone like you can get hired, huh?"

"Speak for yourself," She shot back, "what have you been doing?"

"Working." He took a drink of his beer, reveling in the bitter flavor.

"You have a girlfriend?"

He arched an eyebrow, "Fuck no."

"Can't see why." She said to herself, but loudly enough for him to hear, and fished the straw of her long island into her mouth. After taking a drink, she said, "I don't have a boyfriend either."

"Does it look like I care?"

"You're just as charming as I remember."

"It's been five years, don't get all high and mighty." He said, downing his beer with the way this conversation was going. Wiping his mouth, he flagged down the bartender and ordered another, "I didn't even want to come to this fucking shit-show."

"Then why did you?" She asked, somewhat defensively. Right, he forgot, she was actually friends with these losers and cared about seeing them again.

"Fuck if I know." He muttered, taking the new beer from the bartender, "Kirishima wanted me to, and I knew if I didn't, I wouldn't hear the end of it from pinky."

"Is that it?"

His eyes found hers, and he thought that maybe she was hoping he would say something. What the fuck was he supposed to say? "Yeah?"

She sighed, and then chugged her drink just as he had. He watched her in amazement, because that fucking long island was way bigger than his beer, and he knew there was much more alcohol content in it. When she was finished, she wiped her mouth on the back of her hand and said, "I need another."

"Simmer down, you alchy." He said, "You just chugged like, sixteen ounces of liquor."

"So?" She put her hands on her hips, shooting him a challenging look, "You afraid because I'm showing you up?"

"By drinking more than me?" He shrugged, "Whatever, I like not having my stomach pumped at the end of the night, so…"

"I'm getting another one." She stepped up on the ledge under the counter, waving her hand, "You want one?"

"I don't do girly drinks."

She shot him a look, "Yeah, well, my 'girly drink' is like, three of your beers."

"Are you trying to challenge me?"

She shrugged, "Maybe I am, what are you going to do about it?"

Oh that did it. That simple phrase, 'what are you going to do about it' really did Bakugou in. It was one of his weaknesses, really. When he was given a challenge, Katsuki Bakugou didn't back down. With a grin, he leaned forward so that their faces were level, "Fine, then, let's see who can drink more."

"You're on!"

It was a mistake on both of their parts. In all fairness, Bakugou ended up winning, but he doubted Uraraka would even remember the challenge in the morning. The only good thing about getting insanely drunk with her, was that the rest of their class also got drunk. It was the biggest shit-show Bakugou had ever seen, especially when karaoke came out. Everyone was suddenly an A-list singer that night. The only ones who didn't seem to get drunk were Iida and Deku, which really fucking figured.

Bakugou actually had fun, not that he'd ever admit it.

Kirishima sat next to him as Mina and Uraraka swayed with the music while the rest of the class cheered them on, their arms around each other's shoulders singing, and elbowed him, "That's…my girlfriend." Kirishima slurred, pointing to Mina.

Bakugou turned his head slowly toward him, "I know, fucking moron."

But Kirishima was still looking at her as she laughed with Uraraka, his eyes half-lidded and a stupid smile etched across his face, "She's so beautiful. How did I get so lucky?"

Bakugou wasn't sure if it was just the alcohol, or if it was from such sappy words, but his stomach churned at the thought, "Dude, shut the fuck up."

Kirishima suddenly turned to him, throwing an arm around his shoulders, and pulled himself closer to Bakugou. Pointing a finger in his face, he said, "You should ask Uraraka out, man. She told me she's working in this city now, so she'll be around more."

Bakugou rolled his eyes, "Why the fuck would I?"

"Cause you like her," Kirishima said, holding up his free hand for emphasis, and effectively spilling his drink on them both, "and she likes you."

"No she doesn't."

The red-haired man looked at him through sarcastic half-lidded eyes, "You are so fucking stupid that I can't even handle it. Why do you think I made you come to this thing?"

"Cause you're a pain in the ass."

"Yeah," Kirishima giggled, and then continued his slurring, "but Uraraka really wanted you to be here."

Bakugou drunkenly shook his head, "No she didn't."

"Yeah, she did. She told Mina, and that's why we tried to get you here so hard." Kirishima mussed Bakugou's blonde hair, sitting back to watch the girls again, "Dude, just fucking look at her. She's nearly perfect, and she wants to see an asshole like you. Why would you let that slip by, especially when you want her, too?"

The alcohol was starting to make Bakugou's head fuzzy. What was Kirishima saying? Uraraka really came here to see him? "I…"

The girls' song stopped, and they both came back to where the two men were sitting, wiping tears from their eyes, "Oh my gosh, I haven't laughed that hard in a while."

"Babe," Kirishima said, glancing at Bakugou and then back at Mina, "want to get out of here?"

Mina grinned, wrapping her arms around his waist as he struggled to his feet, "Oh? Should we?"

Kirishima leaned down to give her a quick kiss, nearly making Bakugou throw up, and said, "Yep, we have things to do at home."

"Jesus Christ," Bakugou muttered, "just go so I don' have to be tortured any more than I already am."

Kirishima winked, "Kay, bye, Bakugou."

Bakugou watched the couple as they sauntered toward the door, and then glanced back around him to see who was still left. Hagakure and Tsuyu had left a little earlier, and Kaminari and Jiro looked like they were getting ready to. Sero had disappeared, and Bakugou could really give a fuck less where Iida, Tokoyami, and Shoji went. Deku and Todoroki were still there, surprisingly, the ladder talking a little too closely to Yaoyorozu, but whatever. As Uraraka flopped down next to Bakugou with a giggle, he noticed Deku's gaze flick over to them.

"Uh," Uraraka sighed, leaning back against the couch, "that was too much fun. I can't believe Mina left already!"

His eyes lingered a little too long on her legs, which she propped up on the small table littered with plastic cups. Shaking his head, he glanced down at the cup of beer in his hand, and put it on the table. He really needed to stop drinking, Uraraka was _not_ his type. He definitely didn't like long dark hair, or skin that wasn't too tan, but not pale either, that looked like it would be hyper soft against his calloused hands. And Bakugou really wasn't one to go for girls who had killer curves…and girls who were super, super attractive…

God damn, who was he kidding, Uraraka was driving him absolutely insane. Kirishima, as much of a bird brain as he was, had been right. Ever since their fight in the first UA Sports Festival, he'd admired her. Not many people had actually fought against him with their all. They were too afraid to make him angry, but her? She actually fought him, with one of the smartest strategies he'd ever seen. She was the only one to make his heart beat faster than normal, the only one to ever fill his head with thoughts of her, the only one he'd actually missed seeing…

"Hel- _lo_ , earth to Bakugou!"

He blinked, realizing he'd spaced out, and saw her waving her hand in front of his face, and snapped, "What?"

She sat up straight, her cheeks crimson from all the alcohol she'd drank, "I'm gonna get going."

Rising to her feet, she suddenly swayed and tried to steady herself, but tripped over her own feet. Bakugou caught her around her waist, but she toppled forward into his lap, catching herself on the back of the couch. He thanked the alcohol for already making his face red, because, fuck, it would have been embarrassingly blazing without it. She had one leg propped on the couch next to him, the other on the floor, and her top half was pressed against him. Their faces, only inches apart, mirrored each other's shock.

"Uh," Bakugou, whose hands were still gripping her waist, swallowed, "You good, pink-face?"

"I've never been this drunk before." She whispered, and then giggled.

Bakugou sighed, pushing her upright as he stood. If Uraraka was leaving, there was no point in him staying, "Where do you live, I'll walk you home."

She shook her head, "Oh, you don't have to do that."

He arched an eyebrow, swaying lightly on his feet, "A drunk girl in an outfit like that doesn't make for a happy ending, sweetheart."

If he wasn't mistaken, her cheeks grew even brighter, "What's wrong with my outfit?"

He steered her toward the door, bathing gloriously in the disappointed look on Deku's pathetic face, and leaned down to say in her ear, "It's driving all the guys in here crazy."

She glanced around, "Why?"

He opened the door and waited for her to clumsily step over the threshold, and let it swing shut behind them, "Because, it's a little…"

"A little what?"

God she was so innocent. "It's…you know…sexy."

She blinked, and then laughed, clutching his arm to stay on her feet, "It's just a romper!"

"It doesn't leave much to the imagination."

"Do I at least look good?"

"Yeah."

She leaned her head against his arm, humming to herself, and then peeked up at his face, "When you said it was driving all the guys crazy, does that mean you too?"

"Fuck." He said under his breath, "Why do you want to know?"

She looked away, "No reason."

"Where are you staying?" He asked, both of them stumbling down the street, supported by each other.

"I…don't know how to get there from here." She stopped walking, the epiphany of her situation hitting her suddenly, "I took a cab."

Unbelievable. "Are you fucking kidding me?" He glared down at her, "You're really something, you know that? Some things didn't change about you."

"What do you mean, some things?"

"You really don't know how to get back to your place?"

She suddenly looked like she was about to cry, catching him completely off guard, "No, I don't. I guess just call a cab and I'll try to describe it to the driver-"

"Just fucking stay at my place." He muttered, "Knowing you, you'll get out at the wrong place and be in a worse situation."

"Your place?" She asked, "Is that okay?"

"Why, do you not want to?"

"I just…" She twiddled with the edge of her romper, "I don't want to intrude…"

"You're amazing, you know that?" He started walking, pulling her with him, "I'm just trying to make sure you don't get murdered, and you don't even want my help."

"It's not that." She said quietly, "It's because…I've…never stayed the night at a guy's house before…"

He grimaced, "What, do you think I'm going to jump your bones? I'm a respectable guy, you know."

After a couple minutes of walking in silence, she looked up at him, her gaze still reserved, but some of the fire had crept in, "You really like my romper?"

"Why are we back to that subject?" He slurred, opening the door to his apartment building. They stepped into the elevator, and he continued, "Yeah, I fucking like it, okay?"

"Okay." She smiled, and they stepped out of the elevator. He fumbled with the key to his door, before finally unlocking it and turning on the lights. His apartment wasn't anything special, but it was comfortable. "Should I sleep on the couch?" Uraraka asked.

"You can have my bed, I'll sleep on the couch." He said, throwing the keys on the counter, "Do you want a shirt to sleep in?"

"If you wouldn't mind."

He retrieved one from his drawer and tossed it to her, "Bathroom's over there. You want anything to eat? You should soak up some of that alcohol."

"Sure."

He flopped down on the couch, turning on the TV, and started munching on some chips. His phone vibrated once, a text from Kirishima, _You getting laid yet? Cause I am._

After choking on a chip, he quickly typed out, _I hope you have a heart attack and die._

"Ah, so much comfier." Uraraka's voice came from the hall, and Bakugou had to clench his teeth together as she walked out in only his shirt. Thank god it went down to mid-thigh, or Bakugou would be the one having the heart attack. She reached into the bag of chips he had, and stuffed some into her mouth, "You know, I don't feel so drunk anymore."

"You haven't drank anything in an hour, so you're probably starting to sober up."

"Totally." And as if all of her talk crumbled before her, she swayed dangerously close to falling. Once again, Bakugou caught her, and swung her up into his arms.

"You're going to bed, Uraraka." He said, carrying her to his room.

Gently laying her down, he pulled the dark blue comforter up over her. Making sure she was tucked in, he turned to leave, but felt her fingers close around his wrist, "Stay with me?"

"What?"

"I really came to see you today." She said, tugging at his wrist, "Won't you stay?"

"Uraraka…" He looked away, already knowing where this was going, "I know you aren't usually like this, so I'll blame it on the alcohol. Trust me, you wouldn't feel too positive if you woke up next to me in the morning."

"Yeah I would."

He jerked his wrist free, "Go to sleep. I won't be your mistake."

"It's not a mistake." She sat up, "I really like you, Bakugou."

He stared at the bedroom door, "You won't remember this in the morning, so I seriously doubt you know what you're saying. And despite what everyone thinks, I'm not a bad guy. I wouldn't take advantage of you like this. You want to have sex when you're not drunk, hit me up, but until then, go to bed." He left the room before she could even answer and plopped down on the couch to angrily chow through the bag of chips.

Fuck class reunions.

* * *

 _ **A/N: I totally promised a KiriMina story, and I did not deliver that in any way. I'm a hopeless Kacchako lover, but I'll try my hardest to get a KiriMina story out someday!**_

 _ **Also, the agency characters are ones I just made up on a whim.**_

 _ **I don't have much to say, other than thank you to everyone who reads, reviews, favorites, and follows this story! You won't be disappointed! (I hope T_T)**_

 _ **Until next time!**_


	2. Kirishima the Nosy Asshole

"Dude, you look like shit."

Bakugou glared intently at the man sitting across from him, wearing the most annoying shit-eating grin on his face that he'd ever fucking seen. Kirishima had texted him early in the morning asking if he wanted to get hangover food. As much as Bakugou didn't want to leave the couch, he had reluctantly agreed for the welfare of his stomach.

"And why is it," Bakugou grumbled, "that you don't even look like you drank an ounce last night?"

"I've hardly ever gotten a hangover before." Kirishima shrugged, "It's a blessing."

They were sitting in a booth next to a wide window, at a shitty café that served not-shitty food. Even though Bakugou was pretty sure he saw a cockroach once, he turned a blind eye and didn't question what he was eating. It was that fucking good.

They had just ordered, so they were waiting on their meals. Bakugou's head felt like it was about to split open at any second, and hearing spikey-hair's voice didn't help in the slightest. On top of that, his stomach was doing flips so badly, that he felt like he was in a goddamn free fall. Just how much alcohol had he drank?

With a glint in his eye, Kirishima suddenly leaned forward, and Bakugou resisted the urge to reach out and strangle him. If he even so much as mentioned she-who-will-not-be-named whose name started with a U, he promised he would blow up right there. "So, how was your night?"

"Fine." Bakugou hissed through clenched teeth.

"Just fine?" Kirishima asked, resting his chin on his closed fist.

"How else was it supposed to be?"

"Well, being that my sources told me you left with a certain lady," That fucking grin returned to his face, "I figured you'd be in a better mood. Was it bad?"

"I'm going to give you one opportunity to change the subject." Bakugou growled, his red eyes boring into the other man, "Or you won't be able to make it to work tomorrow."

" _Really_?" Kirishima slumped back in the booth, his face a mixture of emotions, "Damn, I really thought Uraraka would be good in bed. She's got a bangin' body, and I _know_ she's flexible from combat class in school-"

"You fucking asshat." Bakugou breathed, "Nothing happened."

It was true. After he'd walked out of the room, he had passed out on the couch just outside it. A couple hours afterward, he woke to the sound of his bedroom door opening. When he glanced at the clock, it was eight-thirty in the morning.

 _"Ah fuck," He groaned, "it's still fucking early."_

 _"U-um, Bakugou?" He glanced to his left to find Uraraka standing in the doorway with his comforter wrapped around herself. Her pink cheeks were nearly glowing in the dark room as she looked around, "Where are we?"_

 _"My apartment, where do you think?"_

 _"How did I…get here? And why?"_

 _"If you don't remember how you got here, I think you should know why you're here." He said, his face half hidden by the blanket that he pulled up to his chin, "You were completely wasted and couldn't remember how to get back to your place."_

 _"So you brought me here?"_

 _"It's my fucking place, isn't it?"_

 _"Where are my clothes?"_

 _"You threw them on the floor."_

 _She looked to where he pointed, at the heap of fabric at the foot of the couch. She quickly crossed the room and scooped them up, the comforter falling back slightly as she did. It revealed a bare shoulder, and he arched an eyebrow, "Where's the shirt I gave you?"_

 _"Huh?" She glanced at him in embarrassment, "The shirt?"_

 _"Yeah," He sat up and the blanket fell away to reveal his bare chest, and he was sure that he saw her flinch, "I gave you a shirt so you didn't have to sleep in your dirty clothes."_

 _They stared at each other for a moment, and Bakugou couldn't think of a time where he'd wanted to kill himself so badly. Why the fuck was she being so awkward? As if reading his thoughts, she looked away from him and asked, "U-um…Bakugou?"_

 _"What? Spit it out, I want to go back to sleep."_

 _"Did we…we didn't…you know?"_

 _He looked down at his hand, wondering where exactly he should put it to be able to blow himself up painlessly, "Relax, angel face, nothing happened."_

 _"Really?" She sounded relieved._

 _"I wouldn't be sleeping on the goddamn couch if it had." He snapped, "I told you you wouldn't remember shit in the morning."_

 _"What do you mean?"_

 _"You came on pretty strong," he said, "watch how much you drink next time, because I won't be there. Not everyone has the same morals as I do."_

 _Her face turned completely red, and she stood up to practically race back into his bedroom. Emerging seconds later with the pink romper on, she bowed quickly and blurted, "Thanks for making sure I was safe, Bakugou! I hope I wasn't too much of a burden."_

 _"Where are you going?" He sighed._

 _"I-I should really be going home." She straightened, and he thought that maybe there were tears in her eyes, "I'll be seeing you!"_

 _"Wait, Uraraka-!" But the front door slammed shut before he could even stand up. What in the actual fuck had just happened? Was she that traumatized at waking up at his place? He didn't even do anything! All he did was tuck her in and come back with a bottle of water after she had passed the fuck out, so she didn't get dehydrated. God damn, girls were fucking mood monsters._

 _His phone vibrated once on top of the couch, and he looked at the screen. **Hey buddy, breakfast?**_

Kirishima's ridiculously stupid face went blank, making Bakugou want to kick his ass even more. After a moment, he swallowed and then said, "You mean, you guys didn't…" He swayed his shoulders suggestively, "do the frickle-frack?"

"What the fuck, Kirishima." Bakugou pinched the bridge of his nose, "How do you have a girlfriend like Mina when you say shit like 'frickle-frack'?"

"Obviously I'm doing something you're not."

"Do you want to die?"

"Come on man, I was beyond hyped to hear the details."

"You're more of a fucking girl than your girlfriend."

Kirishima grinned, "Oh don't even act like you don't know that they're texting right now. Mina's as interested as I am. We even had a bet."

"A bet?"

"Who lasted longer."

Clenching his fists under the table so as not to reach out and wrap one around Kirishima's fucking neck, Bakugou felt the vein in his forehead near the rupturing point. Did everyone really think that piss-poorly of him? That he would really take advantage of a drunk girl like that, just because he may or may not have had a crush on her at one point? Sure, Bakugou was by no means an innocent person, but he wasn't some fucking pervert.

"She was wasted, what was I supposed to do?" Bakugou muttered, crossing his arms over his chest, "I'm not a fucking rapist."

"You were just as wasted, plus I don't think Uraraka would mind." Kirishima shrugged, "She came there specifically to see you."

"Whatever, asshole, nothing happened so get the fuck over it." He glanced out the window to watch some pigeons fighting over something on the sidewalk, "Being that she ran out of my place like I was Freddy fucking Kreuger, I don't think she would have been okay with it."

Kirishima cupped his hand to his ear, leaning forward like the annoying piece of shit he was, and said, "What am I hearing? Is that…disappointment in your voice, Baku-babe?"

"Shut the fuck up, loser." He snapped, "As if I'd be disappointed about someone like her."

"You can say whatever you want, man, but at least try to sound convincing."

The waitress really saved Kirishima's life right then, interrupting their conversation to place their meals in front of them. Bakugou was about two seconds away from pounding that fucker with everything he had. Wait…that didn't come out right. He was about two seconds away from beating his face in with everything he had. There, that's better.

Shoveling some eggs into his mouth like they were the holy grail, Bakugou glared at the man across from him. He'd gotten taller since high school, his boyish looks growing out into handsome, clean-cut features. His spikey hair was still the same, but then again, so was Bakugou's. He was still slim like back then, but it would be a mistake to think that the muscles lining his body weren't hardened with experience. Kirishima was a jokester at UA, and he still was, but he was a fine hero. Despite annoying the shit out of him, Bakugou would fight with him any day. Not that he'd fucking admit it, though.

"So, Blade told me he hired your new partner." Kirishima said after a few moments of both silently devouring their food.

Bakugou wiped his mouth on the back of his hand, "What? He didn't tell me anything."

Kirishima shrugged, "Maybe he wanted to avoid any unnecessary yelling and just throw you into it."

"Throw me into it, my ass." Bakugou said, "That would just make me angrier! Who did he hire?"

"Beats me," Kirishima shrugged, talking with a mouthful of pancakes, "he didn't tell me who it was, just that he hired someone. Poor bastard."

"It better not be some rookie." Bakugou muttered, "I cannot mentally handle having to deal with someone who's never done hero work. They think they can do anything and then it gets them killed."

"You thought you could do anything." Kirishima said.

"That's because I can."

"Then if you can do anything, you should be able to train a rookie partner, right?"

"Fuck off."

The doorbell rang as they left the restraint a few minutes later, stomachs full with glorious breakfast. The pounding in Bakugou's head had finally gone away after four glasses of Mountain Dew, and the food had soaked up any leftover alcohol in his stomach. The wind was warm against his face, wrapping around his body like a soft blanket, and he found that all he wanted to do now was have a nap.

"You wanna come over and watch Netflix?" Kirishima asked as they continued down the street.

"I'd rather get ran over by that car." Bakugou said, pointing to a passing vehicle.

Kirishima shoved him with his shoulder, making him step half out onto the road. Bakugou only shoved him back, grinning at his friend's audacity. They had lost touch for a year after high school, and when they both saw each other at orientation, it was like they'd never been apart. It was a nice feeling.

When Bakugou got back to his apartment, he sprawled out onto the couch and cocooned himself under his blanket like a caterpillar. Catfish was playing on TV, his favorite fucking show. It was so satisfying watching people get their lives ruined by being a dumbass.

His phone vibrated, and he was about ready to call Kirishima to tell him to fuck off, when he saw that it was a number he didn't have saved. _It's Uraraka._

 _Congratulations._ He typed.

 _I wanted to apologize for how I acted this morning. I didn't even thank you properly for taking care of me._

He rolled his eyes, _Whatever, I only did it because I pushed you to drink._

 _Still, thank you._

 _How did you get my number?_

 _Mina._

 _Figures._

He ground his teeth together, making a mental note to tell Kirishima to tell his girlfriend to fuck right out of Bakugou's life. The last thing he needed was for Uraraka, of all people, to be texting him. He liked to keep the amount of people from his class that he spoke to, at an all-time minimum. The lesser, the better.

Keeping up with his post-hangover meal wishes, he fell asleep in the middle of an episode of Catfish. He really didn't know he needed that much sleep, and when he woke up at midnight, he really thought that his clock was broken. If it weren't for the pitch-black sky outside, he would have gone to a psychiatrist.

Taking a quick shower, he set his alarm for the morning and crawled into bed. Immediately he wished he would have changed the sheets, because they smelled like the perfume Uraraka had been wearing the night before. An itch crept into Bakugou's chest, spreading down to his stomach as he laid in the dark room surrounded by the smell of the girl he once liked.

Deciding punching himself out wasn't a very good option, he used the trick his hero mentor taught him to fall asleep. Clearing his mind of all thoughts, he focused on the sounds around him, and only those sounds. It always had a knack of working.

Even though he got a fuck-ton of sleep, he still groaned when his alarm went off in the morning. He really thought that his quirk required more sleep now that he was getting older, or some shit like that. Dressing in his usual outfit, he set off for the agency.

Kirishima had actually made himself useful for once, and told him that Blade had hired a new partner. The thought bothered him the entire way to the agency. Please don't be a fuck-up, please don't be a fuck-up.

He was reclining in his office chair, watching the people in the streets below, when Blade finally showed his face, "Hey, Bakugou, good news!"

"You finally got me a new partner?" He muttered, not taking his eyes off the people below.

"Bingo!" Blade said, way too enthusiastically for Bakugou's morning mood, "Follow me, they're waiting in the orientation room."

"Yes, sir."

Bakugou followed diligently behind him, the suspense of finding out who they were, eating at him more than it should have. As they neared the orientation room, Blade turned his head to say, "This hero has worked for a different agency for the past couple years, so you don't have to worry about them having no experience."

What a fucking relief. Bakugou sighed, happy tears stinging the back of his eyes, "Oh thank God."

Blade opened the door, allowing Bakugou to go in first. There was one person sitting at a table in the front of the room. When the door opened, they turned in their seat to see who had entered, their rich brown eyes alight with excitement.

Bakugou nearly shit himself when he saw her sitting there, the color pink heating up her entire face, and wondered if this was some kind of joke. It had to be Kirishima trying to pull his usual shit. It _had_ to be. There was no way, no fucking way, this was real.

"Bakugou," Blade slapped his shoulder, obviously oblivious to the way the temperature in the room had dropped, "meet your new partner, Ochako Uraraka!"

"Huh?" Uraraka peeped.

"Huh?" Bakugou growled.

"HUH?!"

* * *

 ** _A/N: Woohoo, I'm totally excited for this story to get going! I'm a little disappointed this chapter was so short, but you win some, you lose some, right? I'm updating early in the week because I have a whole lotta stuff to do as the semester comes to an end. I have a shit ton of stuff due at the end of the week, but I'm procrastinating for you guys. 3_**

 ** _Clarissa Kirishima: Good to see you again! I look forward to any more feedback you have. Your comments on Black always cheered me up!_**

 ** _karlamoose: Thanks for the review! I always pictured Bakugou and Kirishima clashing together, but with love, of course. It's always fun to write those personalities and conversations of nothing but bickering and insults. Too much fun._**

 ** _GeekyAnimeGirl: Thank you so much, and I hope you stick around!_**

 ** _Celestianahiem: I have to admit, I came back from the bar and saw your review and I cried. It was 100% because of the alcohol, but I appreciate it!_**

 ** _As always, thank you to everyone who reads, reviews, favorites, and follows this story! You guys rock!_**

 ** _Until next time!_**


	3. What the Fuck

Fuck, fuck, fuckitty fuck fuck. What the fuck? Like seriously… _what the fuck_?

These, along with more colorful thoughts, were flying through Bakugou's head as he stormed down the hall. The people in his way practically jumped out the window when they saw him coming, and he was sure it was because he looked ready to punch someone into the sun.

Whose grand fucking idea was it to make Uraraka his partner, much less hire her? Did Blade really expect him to partner with her? Their quirks didn't go together at all! Explosions and anti-gravity? Useless! At least Saiko had been a water user!

"Whoa, buddy," Kirishima whistled as he entered the break room, "you don't look too happy. Bad partner?"

Bakugou felt his teeth peel back from his lips, and he looked at spikey hair the way an enraged parent looks at their kid to make them shut up after they say something stupid, "I'm not talking to you right now."

Kirishima just rolled his eyes, "Who is it? Have I heard of them?"

Dumping nearly an entire cup of coffee down his throat in one go, Bakugou slammed the mug on the counter, "Does, Uravity ring a fucking bell?"

Down the hall, sitting in his office, Blade was suddenly startled by a scream. Shrugging, he went back to typing a report.

Kirishima was _actually_ on the floor laughing, like literally on the floor in a fetal position. Bakugou was screaming something inaudible at him, probably along the lines of 'get your ass off the floor, you fucking potato', and that was how pro hero, Electro, missed getting his morning coffee.

"Hoooh my god," Kirishima said, wiping his eyes, "this is too perfect. Uraraka's your partner. I almost don't believe it."

"Well believe it, fucker." Bakugou muttered.

"Where is she?"

"Fuck if I know, I left her in the room."

"That's not very gentlemanlike."

"Do I look like a gentleman?"

"Touché."

* * *

"He literally ran, Mina."

Uraraka groaned, burying her head in her arms, which were resting on the bar in front of her. She and Mina were getting drinks to celebrate Uraraka's first day at work. Instead of the fun day of meeting a new partner she thought it'd be, it had been a disaster. She knew Bakugou worked at one of the hero agencies in the area, but not _that_ one.

"Oh geez," Mina took a drink, "you know how Bakugou is. He hasn't changed at all since high school, other than getting hotter."

Uraraka arched an eyebrow, "Hotter?"

"Yeah, he's taller and more bulked up, and all of his baby fat is gone." Mina grinned, "If I didn't have Eijiro, I'd totally jump on him."

"That is not what we were talking about!" Uraraka sputtered, her face growing about as red as her dress.

"Oh, is someone still embarrassed about the class reunion?" Mina poked, "Apparently Bakugou is, too, from the way he reacted."

Uraraka straightened, "You think that's why he acted so mean?"

"Listen, sweetie," Mina turned toward her, her demeanor telling her that she was about to drop some knowledge, "guys are shit at realizing their own emotions. He obviously doesn't get much female attention, so the fact that little miss Uraraka was naked in his apartment, has him all in an uproar. He's like a late-blooming hormonal teenager."

"I don't-" Uraraka sighed, "I mean…Bakugou probably had some attention in high school, right?"

"Please, while Eijiro and I were banging, Bakugou was studying." Mina took another drink of her alcohol, "He was a total nerd! He doesn't even look like he'd study at all, but he was always in his room. He and Eijiro were roommates, so I know."

Uraraka groaned, "I still can't believe I woke up at his house, Mina. What was I thinking?"

"About a sweaty, naked Bakugou-"

"No!" She said loudly, drawing the attention of the few people there eating. Ducking her head down in embarrassment, she continued, "I don't think of him like that."

Mina shook her head in disproval, "Then why'd you want to know if he was coming to the class reunion so bad?"

"Because."

"That's what I thought." Mina rest her chin in her palm, "On the topic of him running out on you at the agency, it's not specifically because of you. He would have done the same thing if it was anyone from our class sitting in that chair. It just made it a little worse because he crushed over you in high school and had you sleeping naked in his bed two days ago."

"Why do you have to keep bringing up the fact that I was naked?"

"Because it's funny as shit!"

"Should I text him?" She asked, looking down at the dormant phone lying on the bar next to her hand, "I feel like I should ask him to meet."

"In bed?"

"Mina, for two seconds!"

"Sorry, sorry." Mina waved her hand in dismissal, "If you think that's what you should do, then do it. The worst he could say is no."

"I think he could probably say worse than that, actually."

"I was trying to make you feel better."

Uraraka finally smiled at her friend. They had remained best friends since high school, their juice girls nights gradually turning into wine nights. Mina had been there for many of Uraraka's ups and downs, and both girls knew secrets about each other that no one else, not even Kirishima, knew. They were practically inseparable. Sisters.

As they grew older, though, Uraraka became jealous of Mina. She had everything. A great boyfriend, a solid job, a high-rise apartment, what was there left for her? She was successful, and Uraraka was…not. She had a job, but just barely, lived out of a hotel, and was more single than a Kraft cheese slice. She was getting older, and as she was, she began to think that no one was going to date her.

Deku had been her first love, her high school sweetheart, but as his fame grew, their relationship did not. It wasn't his fault, he tried, he _really_ tried, but he was always gone. Uraraka was left alone at the apartment they'd gotten together, and everyone knows that only one person can't keep the connection alive. When she told him she was leaving, he cried. She did too. But she couldn't live with watching him on TV rather than seeing him there with her. It was a life that both of them deserved, but were denied. Maybe it was selfish, but Uraraka ached for that connection, emotionally and physically, with someone, and with Deku, it had vanished before it barely even started.

She typed out a text to Bakugou saying she wanted to talk to him, and then faced Mina, "I just don't even want to think about it."

"It'll all work out hun," Min said, "maybe not the way you think it might, but it will."

"I hope so." She glanced at her phone as it buzzed against the counter. Bakugou was a quick texter apparently.

 _Frezia's. 6:00._ Was all that was written.

"He wants to meet at Frezia's at six."

"The coffee shop?"

"Yeah."

"Hmm, I didn't peg him as a coffee shop guy."

"I better get going." Uraraka said, glancing at the clock. It was five thirty. Boy did Bakugou give short notice, "Wish me luck!"

"Good luck, girl!" Mina called as she left the bar.

Outside the breeze was light and warm, ruffling her chestnut hair around her face. Her heart was hammering in her chest as she made her way down the street, the thought of seeing Bakugou making her nervous. Was it because she was afraid of what he'd say about her being his partner, or something else. They still hadn't spoken since she ran out of his apartment like he was a serial killer.

Would leaving Deku for Bakugou make any sense?

She was surprised as the thought popped into her head, shaking her head as if it would fly out her ears. That was a place she wasn't going to venture into. Ever.

Frezia's was a small coffee shop located on a corner block. It was known for its great coffee, so there was usually a lot of people. That was not the case when Uraraka strode through the door, the smell of coffee beans and sweetness filling her nose.

Looking around, she spotted a shock of blonde hair poking over a booth, and made her way toward it. Upon further investigation, she found Bakugou fixated on something out the window next to the table, his head propped up by the hand covering his mouth. He was wearing a black short sleeved shirt, showing off his toned forearms and muscled biceps. Mina had been right when she said he'd filled out. He was taller, his shoulders broad and masculine, face longer and more chiseled.

His crimson eyes flicked toward her as she approached him, and just as quickly glanced back out the window. As she slid into the booth across from him, he pushed a cup full of an iced concoction toward her, "Caramel Macchiato, right?"

She didn't keep her surprise hidden, "How did you know that I like these?"

"You drank the shit every morning in high school," He muttered, still looking out the window, "we sat next to each other, and I had to listen to you slurp it down all first hour."

"I didn't slurp it." She mumbled, taking a drink of the coffee, "Thank you."

He shrugged, "What do you want?"

Bakugou never was one for small talk. She gulped, "I, um, wanted to talk to you about us being partners."

"What is there to talk about?" He finally looked at her, those eyes of his boring into hers with an intensity that made her shiver, "We're partners."

Uraraka blinked, "You…seemed really angry about it this morning, so I…"

He sighed, "Yeah, I was. But I realized I had to get over it." He neglected to tell her that Blade had scolded him after the incident.

"I don't want you to feel uncomfortable working with me, though." She said, wringing her hands together under the table, "I just…"

Maybe it was her imagination, but she swore she saw his gaze soften before saying, "Listen space suit, I don't have a problem with it. Just don't get in my way, and don't fuck up our missions. If you slow me down, I'll leave you behind."

She couldn't help but smile at that, "You really haven't changed much."

"So you've said."

"I'm surprised you haven't called me an extra yet."

"That's because I thought you knew you were one."

"So we're really okay?" She asked, "Being partners won't kill you?"

"Not for the time being."

He watched her smile and take a drink of the coffee he'd gotten her. For as much as she preached to him about not being much different from high school, she wasn't, personality wise, either.

After he had cooled down, and kicked Kirishima's ass a couple times that morning, he realized he had been a major dick to her. He couldn't help but remember the way she'd looked so excited to start a new job, and he'd ruined it. Nobody cried, but he knew his no-outburst streak was broken.

She looked like she was about to say something, when her phone rang. "Oh, excuse me." She said absentmindedly, answering the phone. He watched a wide array of emotions pass over her throughout those couple of minutes, and then she ended the call with a troubled look on her face.

"What's up, round face?" He asked curiously.

Suddenly tears formed in the corner of her eyes, and he panicked. What the fuck, what was happening? "I…am getting kicked out of my hotel."

"You're what?"

"They said they have a maximum stay rate unless you're a prestigious guest." She kept staring at the table, "They told me I need to be out by tomorrow morning. I don't know where I'm going to go. Maybe Mina will let me stay with her. But they only have a one bedroom."

"You were living in a hotel?" He crossed his arms, "You can't live in a fucking hotel."

"I didn't want to trouble anyone." She said quietly, "But now that backfired."

"I have a spare room." He found the words leaving his big mouth before he could think about it. Clamping his jaw shut tightly, he froze. Seriously, what the frick frack Bakugou?

Uraraka wiped her nose on the back of her hand, glancing at him curiously, "I couldn't ask you to let me stay."

The tone of her voice said otherwise. The damage was done. Now that he'd fucked himself over, he might as well just fully fuck himself, "Yeah, there's a bed and everything. Kirishima used to come over when he got too blasted to go home. You can use that if you want, until you can find a different place."

"You really mean it?" She asked, her eyes brightening a little.

That little lop-sided grin on her face tugged at his chest. Damn his lingering emotions for her. The image of her standing in his living room in nothing but his blanket, flashed through his head. Afterward, an image of her tousle-haired and flushed face staring up at him, both enveloped in nothing but soft sheets, invaded his thoughts. The feel of her skin, the sound of her breathing, the smell of her perfume…

"Yeah, whatever. It's nothing special." He said, too quickly, and rested his mouth against his hand, trying his best to cover the blush creeping into his cheeks.

"Thank you so much, Bakugou." She said, "You're a real life-savor, you know that?"

"Whatever."

She left to go pack up her hotel room, and he sulked all the way back to his apartment. Just this morning he had been absolutely livid that they were even stuck being partners, and now she was moving in? How did this even happen? It was like some shitty fanfiction or some shit.

He could practically hear Kirishima's sniveling laughter as he trudged up the stairs to his space. What exactly had he gotten himself into this time?

As he sat in his living room, enjoying the last little bit of peace in his life, he heard a knock on the door. Figuring it was Uraraka, he slowly got to his feet and padded across the room.

But when he opened the door, the person on the other side was far from being Uraraka.

* * *

 ** _A/N: Ooooomg after such a long wait, I wrote you guys such a shitty chapter. Truly sorry my dudes. This is literally the only way I pictured this going, but I feel like this did little to further the progress of this story. But hey, everything needs filler right? Right? Maybe not._**

 ** _If you're thinking, "this is dumb, Bakugou got over that hissy fit so fast" you're not wrong! But! I'm trying to make him seem a bit more mature than high school, so I picture him being pissed about something, but telling himself he needs to get over it, and then just does. I also like to think that he doesn't hold grudges, except against Deku, of course._**

 ** _I'm going to deliver some light bad news. I just went full time at work now that I graduated college, so life is still hectic and exhausting. I have less time to write now that I'm working, so I can't guarantee I'll get chapters out once a week, as you've just witnessed! So I want to apologize for that, but I'll still do my best to get content out as soon as I can. And I promise, it will be better than this chapter!_**

 ** _Rhearenee: the pacing thing here definitely did not get better this time…please continue to overlook it for this chapter! Thank you for the kind words!_**

 ** _Clarissa Kirishima: I spoiled myself with Black and writing them together the whole time, so now that I have to build them up, it's so hard. Just friggin love each other okay?_** ** _à Me while writing this story._**

 ** _SinistrousDelirious: Welcome to the chaos, and thank you for the kind words!_**

 ** _RandomReviewer: Thank you, I hope you continue to read!_**

 ** _Kigaroo: Sums up my life, tbh…_**

 ** _Karlamoose: The shirt thing is a mystery for sure, maybe they'll look for it later…_ ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) _Writing KiriBaku/BakuShima (seriously, which one is it?) is always so fun for me. Thank you for the review!_**

 ** _Angel of Pandemonium: Poor Bakugou indeed! But he deserves some of it, amiright?_**

 ** _As always, thank you to everyone who read, reviewed, favorited, and followed so far. You guys rock!_**

 ** _Until next time!_**


	4. Bakugou's Mom: The Hag

"Katsuki, my precious _boy_!"

Oooooh shit. He couldn't hide the utter horror from his face as the woman with the same ashy hair as his wrapped her arms around his shoulders, " _Mom_?" He was still trying to comprehend it, "What the fuck are you doing here?"

She pulled away from him, putting her hands on her hips as if to say 'why the fuck can't I be?', "Why the fuck can't I be?" She asked, "I can't see my own son?"

Knowing full well that Uraraka would be arriving any second, Bakugou contemplated yet again where he could make an explosion to end it all. His mom seeing a girl moving in was not on the fucking agenda, he'd never live it down. It would probably kill him, to be completely honest, and Bakugou would make a shit fucking ghost. "Can't you give a heads up for once, or did it slip your mind? I know the dementia's probably setting in."

"You'd really talk to your own mother like that?"

"Sure would."

Her icy gaze erupted into a smile, and he couldn't help but smile himself. No matter what shit his mom liked to pull, she was the only person that he would tolerate. "Won't you let me in?"

"I have plans." He said curtly, leaning an arm against the propped-open door, "And those plans EQEWdon't involve you loitering at my place for four hours."

She pouted, "But Katsuki, I haven't seen you in forever. Won't you take your poor mother out for supper once in a while?"

"You just want free food, you hag."

"Is that so wrong of me?" She batted her eyelashes, "Kacchan?"

"Aaand you're leaving." He said, swinging the door closed. But his mom, that sneaky old hag of a woman, caught her foot in the door and peered around it, "What's the hurry for? What plans do you have? You don't have any friends."

"Funny, Mom," He muttered, "in fact I do have friends, and I have plans with them. So you're leaving."

"Are any of them girls?"

"Yeah?"

"Any girls that you like?"

"Why are you being such a mom right now?"

"Because I want _grandchildren_ , Katsuki." She sighed, "You're old enough!"

"I already told you, I'm not having kids." Bakugou spat, just the thought making him nauseous, "They're little demons that take all your money and don't say thank you."

"Boy do I know that." His mom muttered, "Are you really not going to let me in? Your own mother-"

"Um excuse me?"

Why didn't she just kill Bakugou right then and there? His life might as well be over anyway, as Uraraka's light voice floated in from the hallway. His mom looked behind her in surprise, eyeing the small-statured girl cautiously, "Can I help you?"

Bakugou kicked the door open like it was an attacking bear, grabbed Uraraka's arm, and pulled her inside in the blink of an eye. "Kaymombye!" He shouted, slamming the door shut in her face.

"Katsuki!" His mom pounded on the door, "Who is that? Is she your girlfriend? Is that why you're hiding her from me? She's cute! I still want supper!"

"Mom, shut the fuck up and leave!" Bakugou shouted through the door.

" _Supper_ Katsuki!"

He pinched the bridge of his nose, "If you leave, I'll take you to supper this weekend. Can you process that through your small brain?"

"Okay, okay," She answered after some thought, and then a couple seconds later, "Make sure to use protection okay? Or, I mean, you don't have to, I really do want-"

"MOM!"

"Okay leaving~"

He heaved a sigh of relief and turned a burning red gaze on Uraraka, who looked utterly confused. She was lucky she was fucking cute, or Bakugou would have lost his shit right then and there. Her fingers played with the laced fringes of her shorts, a black backpack hanging from her shoulders, and chestnut hair falling just above her breasts…not that he was looking or anything. Her cheeks were tinged with pink as she asked, "Did I interrupt something?"

"No, but you opened a can of fucking worms." He scratched the back of his head, "Where's all your stuff?"

"Oh right!" She slapped her forehead and asked, "Do you have a window that opens?"

"Both of the bedrooms have one why?"

Uraraka swept down the hall where he showed her the spare bedroom, and opened the door, just letting herself in like she owned the place. Well, technically she lived there now, but have some common decency, huh! He followed her curiously and leaned against the door frame as he watched her open the window. Try as he might, he couldn't keep his gaze from wandering to her wiggling behind. And those toned legs, one firmly planted on the floor, the other kicked up for balance, weren't helping in the slightest.

God damnit why did he tell her to move in?

Tearing his gaze away and swallowing sharply, he asked, "What are you doing?"

She leaned out to look around and then smiled, "There it is!"

Bakugou only had to wonder what the fuck she was doing for a couple more seconds, when bags started floating in through the open screen. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't slightly impressed by her creativity. He was fully prepared to lug all of her shit up the stairs, all of his complaints already pre-planned in his head, but she'd beaten him to the punch.

Once all of her things were inside, she touched her fingers together and they dropped to the floor. Clutching her stomach, she leaned against the wall and smiled dazedly, "It's all in!"

Bakugou crossed his arms, "I gotta hand it to you, round face, you don't have much stuff for being a girl."

"Oh yeah," She shrugged, "my parents didn't have a lot of money to spare when I was growing up, so I learned to live with little to nothing. I'm used to it, so I can't really imagine what I would do with a whole lot of stuff. Besides, I wear my hero costume five days a week, so I don't need a lot of other clothes."

Sometimes, Bakugou really hated himself for not telling her how he felt five years ago. She was so unlike the other girls in their class, the spoiled, never-had-to-pay-for-anything girls. A hard worker, and as selfless as they come, Uraraka would make any man happy, and Bakugou wasn't an exception. He knew that she would make a good girlfriend, but Bakugou was an asshole, and he didn't want people to look at her differently because she was dating him.

"What do you want me to pay you for rent?" She asked, unzipping one of the bags.

Fuck if he knew, Bakugou didn't even know what _he_ paid for rent. It just came out of his bank account automatically, and he always had money left over to live comfortably. So he shrugged, "You don't have to."

She paused, smoothing her sheets over the spare bed, "No way, I can't live here for nothing."

Not wanting to admit he didn't know what he paid for rent, he just said, "Then make food when we get home at night. Since we're partners, our schedules are the same, so we'll get home at the same time. I can cook, but sometimes I get too tired and just order out. So if you want to pay for rent, just make me food."

Uraraka looked unsure, but said, "Okay, I can do that."

He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, and fished it out to see his mom's picture next to a text saying, _Katsuki, I can't believe you got such a pretty girl._

 _She's not my girl,_ He typed with a white-hot gaze.

"Was that your mom?" Uraraka asked, finished with making the bed and now kicking her bags to one side of the room, "You two look the same."

"We do _not_." He said.

She arched an eyebrow, "You nearly look like the same person."

Another text, _Then why is she at your apartment alone? I don't approve FWB relationships you know._

"God fucking…" He muttered, typing, _IT'S NOT LIKE THAT EITHER. WE'RE JUST FRIENDS._

"Thank you, again, Bakugou." Uraraka said, plopping down on the edge of her bed, "Really, if there's anything else I can do, let me know. I wasn't raised without manners, you know."

He flicked his gaze up to meet hers, and his mind ran wild. Never in his life did Bakugou have unbidden dirty thoughts, not even in his hormonal high school years. But there he was, imagining pushing her down on that bed and finally finding out just how soft her skin really was. Or how much her breasts would spill out of his large hands. Or how her voice would sound against his ear, saying his name as he-

"I'M FINE!" He shouted, slamming the door shut and crossing his apartment in two seconds flat. He knew his face was burning red, feeling it spreading from his neck to his ears. What the fuck, Bakugou? What was that? It was like he was hitting puberty all over again, but this time the sexual thoughts came with it. Seriously, what was he going to do now? Every time he imagined her, that's all he could think of.

It was his mom's fault. She was the one who planted the idea of Uraraka being more than just his friend. That woman had always managed to make his life hell, and this was the deepest level he'd ever been.

He stayed in his room for most of the night, staring up at his spinning ceiling fan. He tried to calm his rapidly building fear of Uraraka discovering his thoughts, thinking up ways to talk to her properly.

She was sitting in the living room when he finally emerged from his room, scrolling through her phone while watching tv. Looking up as he quietly shot across the room, she said, "Hey, everything okay?"

Acting like he was looking for something in his refrigerator, so he didn't have to look at her, he called, "Yeah, I was taking a nap."

"Oh, I see."

She seemed to buy it.

"Do you," he swallowed the lump in his throat, looking for something, anything, to make the space between them less awkward, "want anything to drink?"

She smiled, jumping to her feet to stand next to him, peering inside the refrigerator, "What do you have?"

The smell of her perfume wafted toward him, and he said, "M-mt. dew."

"I only see Coke."

Fuck. "Whatever, take what's left. I don't give a fuck."

Uraraka frowned, her eyes honing into the one solitary sweat drop on the side of his face. Closing the refrigerator, she asked, "Am I making you uncomfortable?"

"Please," He scoffed, "You've been here for four hours, don't get ahead of yourself."

"Okay, just making sure." She said with a smile.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuuuuck his life. He was uncomfortable. He was way beyond uncomfortable. He rocketed past uncomfortable the moment she stepped through the door. No matter how much he slammed his head against the wall that night, he couldn't stop the tingling in his fingers or unwarranted thoughts of the girl in the next bedroom. He was like a goddamn teenage girl.

The next day, he and Uraraka left to go to the agency together. He had tried to leave without her, but she was an early riser now apparently, and beat him awake. They took a bus, a coincidentally _jam-packed_ bus, to the agency, and Bakugou had to deal with her pressed up against his chest. The world must be having a great time laughing in his face, huh? So fucking funny.

"Kirishima," Bakugou grabbed his friend by the hood of his sweatshirt the first chance he got, "I need your help."

Excited by the panic in his voice, Kirishima's face set into serious hero mode, and he said, "What's going on?"

"It's Uraraka."

"What about her?"

"She's," Bakugou looked around to make sure no one was within earshot, "living at my apartment."

There was a long pause between them as Kirishima processed those five words. "Uraraka is…staying at your apartment."

"Yes."

"Alone."

"Yes."

"Just the two of you. Living together."

"Yes."

"…Alone."

"That's what I just fucking said, dumbass!" Bakugou said in frustration, "She didn't have a place to go so I told her to stay with me, but that was a huge fucking mistake. I didn't think I was stupid, but I'm beginning to second guess myself."

"I've known for years." Kirishima muttered, and then shrugged, "If you're helping her out, I don't see the big deal. You have two bedrooms, it's not like she's sleeping with you…Or is she?"

Bakugou resisted the urge to slap the suggestive look off of Kirishima's stupid face, instead shouting, "No!"

"Then what's the problem?"

Bakugou tried to think of a way to say it to him, without sounding like a teenage girl talking about her favorite boy band.

"Wait." Kirishima giggled, "Don't tell me…"

"What?"

He giggled again, "You're finally having wet dreams? Dirty thoughts?"

"Fuck you, I don't have wet dreams like you do."

"I don't, I have Mina for that."

"Disgusting."

Kirishima sighed, a smug smile permanently etched across his face, "I never thought I'd see the day that Katsuki Bakugou had wet dreams."

"I didn't have a wet dream, you stupid fuck!" Someone down the hall poked their head out of a doorway, making Bakugou push his red-haired friend around the corner, "I'm just having a hard time dealing with her being there."

"Because you like her, idiot." Kirishima drug a hand down his face, "It's like talking to a brick wall, I swear. I've been telling you since high school that you guys had a thing for each other, but did you listen? No."

"I don't have a thing for her."

Kirishima shot him a look, "Then why are you psyching yourself out about her living with you?"

"Because."

"Because you want a piece of anti-gravity, amiright?"

"Y-you are not!" Bakugou stammered.

"Do you think she could use her quirk during sex? I'd love to know what it's like to do it floating-"

"Oh my god." Bakugou muttered, "You're useless."

"Listen man," Kirishima clapped him on the shoulder, "it's not going to get better until you just tell her how you feel. Uraraka coming back to town obviously woke up all those old feelings you had for her."

"Feelings my ass," Bakugou said, somewhat unconvincing, "I definitely did not have feelings for her."

"Oh please," Kirishima started walking down the hall, "you were in love with her since the first sports festival. Anyway, I'm going undercover for a while, so I'll be seeing you."

Kirishima was part of a different division in the agency, tasked with almost detective-like missions. He didn't have an official partner, because he went undercover alone most times. It was dangerous work that he did, but only if he was ever made. The thing was, Kirishima was extremely good at what he did. If he was ever found out, it was because he chose to let himself be. Even Bakugou would admit he was kind of a badass.

"Undercover? Bullshit, I need your help!"

"Figure it out on your own man." Kirishima waved his hand dismissively, "Or text Mina, I'm sure she'd be more than happy to give you advice. I'll be gone from home until this mission is over, so she'll probably be happy for the company."

"So whenever I don't need you, you annoy the shit out of me, yet when I do need you, you're nowhere to be found. Fucking figures, Kirishima." Bakugou said to himself, putting his hands on his hips.

With a sigh, he started walking in the opposite direction as Kirishima. Fishing his phone out of his pocket, he scrolled through the ten contacts he had on his phone, tapping on Mina's name. _Yo, Pinky, we need to talk_.

Little did he know that Uraraka had been sent on a mission to find a stapler for Blade. Before she rounded the corner, she heard her name as the topic of conversation between two friends. It was a conversation she wasn't supposed to hear, a conversation that shed light to feelings she thought to be unreciprocated. Smiling to herself, she slowly backed away, allowing herself to touch the feelings hidden away for Katsuki Bakugou.

* * *

 ** _A/N: I finally had a hot minute to sit down and write! I always keep this story in the back of my mind and work and write down notes when I think of something good. All fun!_**

 ** _Clarissa Kirishima: I honestly thought of that last minute and was super proud. Yes, I did write Uraraka experienced with her short lived relationship with Deku, and I think it's cute that Bakugou would be one of the only ones from his class that is a virgin!_**

 ** _Zeensu30: I'm super happy that I'm able to help! Thanks for the review, and your English sounds pretty good so far!_**

 ** _Kigaroo: It is probably one of the most cliché things, but I'm cheesier than mac and cheese so it's just how I roll. I'm glad you liked it!_**

 ** _Rhearenee: Mina is a queen for sure. Thank you for understanding my job life!_**

 ** _Awkwardmarmar: He's growin for sure T_T Be on the lookout for fluffy personal life situations because I have plentyyyyy._**

 ** _Thesvenmachine: Thanks for the review!_**

 ** _Anon: I'm honored you check for my updates, I'm always happy when someone likes my works so much. Hope this chapter didn't disappoint!_**

 ** _Guest: So, uhhh, I improvised and created a new bedroom. Sshhhh._**

 ** _Conchito: Thank you! I was having a seriously long shift at work yesterday and your reviews cheered me up a bit._**

 ** _So you may not have noticed, but there are a few things that are finally put into motion to further the plot a little. Be patient with me, I'm trying to create a slow building relationship and there's so many things I need to do to create that. (And I love writing conversations between Bakugou and Kirishima so…)_**

 ** _Also, I don't know if I ever said it, but the cover art for this story was created by yours truly! You can find my other art on Instagram, my username is BiggySayles. They're not anything spectacular, but hey, I try!_**

 ** _As always, thank you to everyone who's read, reviewed, favorited, and followed this story so far. You guys rock!_**

 ** _Until next time!_**


	5. Mina's a Fucking Genius

Mina Ashido loved gossip. No, let's rephrase that: Mina Ashido loved gossip, but only when it pertained to her small group of friends she surrounded herself with. Those being, Eijiro, of course, Uraraka, no surprise, and Bakugou. Coincidentally, those three are the main characters of this story, how fitting right?

She would always deny it, but Mina was the main instigator when it came to group drama, and this situation was no exception. Uraraka telling her she was excited to see Bakugou at their class reunion, was a gift from the heavens dropped right into her lap. It was so good, it would have been a crime to miss an opportunity like that!

Eijiro wasn't an instigator, but he was a pusher. If Mina so much as suggested something, he knew what to do. So it wasn't hard to get him to go with her plan: Operation Get Uraraka and Bakugou to Bang, which was her most exciting mission yet. She and Eijiro had laid in bed plotting the entire night before she went on her agency trip, and the mischievous look in his eyes had left her with no doubts of failure.

And, by golly, her plan had worked! Sort of…Bakugou and Uraraka hadn't done the do, but they definitely almost did, and that's something! By the way Eijiro said they were acting, both of them also seemed to be realizing their feelings for each other. They'd be doing the frickle-frack in no time the way this was headed. All in a day's work.

God, Mina was a fricken genius.

These thoughts, and more, were floating through her situationally big head as she watched Bakugou tracing the rim of his glass with his right index finger. His chin was resting in his palm, red eyes boring into the amber whiskey inside. His unruly ash-blonde hair stuck up in every way imaginable, somewhat longer than the last time she'd studied it. A simple black name-brand t-shirt covered his muscled torso, tan cargo shorts hugging his slim waist, and the original style Converse pulled the entire look together. Bakugou could probably wear a garbage bag and look good, at least that's what Mina thought.

He looked deep in thought, saying a few words to her when she arrived, but nothing pertaining to why he actually texted her three day ago. Eijiro wouldn't let on what he knew either, only laughing as he gave her a kiss goodbye before heading out on his mission. So, Mina, being the instigator she was, was dying to know just why Katsuki would ask her to come out with him.

Finally she sighed, turning toward him, saying, "If you stare any harder at that glass, it's going to blow up."

He blinked, as if realizing he hadn't said anything, and then muttered, "Good, maybe one of the shards would sever my jugular and end my misery."

"Whoa, bud," Mina's grin dimmed, "what's up?"

"A whole fuck-ton of fucked up, that's what."

"That's a lot of fucked up."

He laughed without humor, "You're telling me."

"So are you going to tell me what's so fucked up?" She asked, taking a drink of her mixer, a drink called the Big Dick, which she really appreciated, "Or do I have to guess?"

"You mean Uraraka hasn't told you yet?" He muttered.

This piqued Mina's interest, and she shrugged, "After waking up at your place and then becoming your partner? Nope, not a thing. She's been suspiciously quiet the last couple days." She grinned, "Don't tell me you two…"

"Fuck no." He wrinkled his nose.

"Hey, Uraraka's hot. I'd totally do her if I liked girls."

"You mean you don't?"

"Does Eijiro look like a girl?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?"

She waved her hand in dismissal, "Stop trying to change the subject, Katsuki! What did you call me here for?"

"She's living with me." He mumbled, his finger tracing the rim of his glass again, "Uraraka's fucking living with me and I don't know how to deal with it."

"First of all," Mina held up a finger, "How in the flip did she end up living at your place?"

"She didn't have anywhere to go. Her hotel kicked her out. The only other place was Deku's, and I'd rather eat my left testicle than watch her go back to that fucker. He was pathetic enough to lose her the first time, he won't get the chance to do it again."

"Oh?" Mina smirked, "Sounds like you're pretty determined."

"I see that smirk on your face, Pinky, so wipe it off." He didn't sound convincing, "It's nothing like that."

"Then if it isn't 'anything like that', then why don't you know how to deal with her living with you?" Mina asked, "We were roommates in high school, she was great to live with."

"That's not it." He looked desperate, like a child trying to explain that the boogeyman was under his bed, "Aside from her shit taking up nearly all of my fucking bathroom sink, she's totally fine. The only other thing that I was pissed about, was that she recorded some wedding show over Catfish, but whatever. The thing is…I can't talk to her."

"What do you mean you can't talk to her?" Mina asked. That was new.

"I mean it how I fucking say it." He sighed, "Now that we're living together and doing all this stuff together because we're also partners, I feel awkward. What am I supposed to talk to her about now that she sees me every day? I don't even know why I'm having this problem. My head just goes blank whenever she comes around."

"Wow." Mina breathed, "Eijiro was right. You _are_ head over heels."

He sputtered, like the lipstick in your Valentino white bag vine, and said, "I am not."

"If you really weren't, you would have said something like," She cleared her throat and then deepened her voice to mimic his, "'With that fucking loser? Yeah right, she's nothing but a second-rate hero who will never amount to anything. As if I'd be interested in someone like _her_ '."

"It's scary how accurate you are." He commented.

"So you admit it."

"No!" He said, but his blushing cheeks gave him away, "I'm just too tired to yell right now."

"Since when have _you_ been too tired to yell?"

"Since the day a girl moved into my place after I told her to without thinking first!" He groaned.

"Okay, chill out for a sec." Mina held up a hand, "I think you just need to give her a chance. Uraraka obviously likes you too, so I'm sure she's having the same troubles as you are."

"Bullshit, Pinky."

"I'm serious. Why else would someone be excited to see another person at a class reunion? Plus, why would any girl in her right mind want to see _you_ over all of the other hot boys in our class?"

"I'll pretend you didn't say that." He muttered, "From what Kirishima told me before this whole ordeal, she's still in love with Deku."

Mina made a note to ignore Eijiro's wandering hands for two whole nights because of that, "Maybe she is still in love with him. He was the first person she ever fell in love with, I think there's always something about that person that you'll never forget. But then someone else eventually comes along that makes you realize that there's no one else you could ever be with." Mina smiled, "And I think that person is you, Katsuki."

He covered his mouth with his hand, the blush creeping into his ears, "What the hell? Why'd you have to get all cheesy?"

"Because you're finally hitting your moody teenage stage and I have to be the voice of reason in your head." She tapped her skull, "Besides, you said it yourself, Deku was stupid to let her go. Are you going to make the same mistake as him?"

Bakugou finally turned to look at her, his face devoid of any malice. For once, he looked like a lost little boy, and it made her happy. "But, even if I liked her, why would she want me, of all people? I'm not exactly the charming type."

"Sometimes when you like someone, it doesn't make sense. You just like them." She shrugged, "When Eijiro told me how he felt, I dated him without really thinking it would go anywhere. But now look at us. Six years later and we're still going strong. One day I woke up and looked at him, and I just knew that he was the one. I'd marry that doofus in a heartbeat, and I'd die for him just the same if it ever came down to it." She cleared her throat, traveling off topic a little, "So, just because you're not friendly, or you're afraid to commit, doesn't mean that she shouldn't like you. Girls don't make sense sometimes, but we're usually always right, so give her some credit."

"I'm so confused." He muttered.

"Bakugou." Mina used her authoritative hero voice to keep his mind on the subject, making his eyes snap to hers, "You like her, right?"

"I…" He paused, as if contemplating what he should say, "I didn't think I did anymore. She had a guy like Deku, and even though I hate his fucking guts, even I'll admit that he's a respectable hero. All Might set a path for him, and he took it, and I didn't stand a chance. Back then, I was so angry, but now I couldn't give a single fuck. I'm content with my life just the way it is, but Deku? He could give the world to anyone because he has it in the palm of his hands. I couldn't do that for her, so I gave up the stupid crush I had on her and moved on. But seeing her at the class reunion and knowing she and Deku weren't together anymore…I got my hopes up. All of those dumbass feelings came back. So yeah, I like her I guess."

Mina blinked. She hadn't expected him to answer her, let alone gush about his feelings. Taking a moment to collect her thoughts, she said, "Boy, I really didn't think you'd changed at all since high school, but I was wrong."

"How's that?"

"The Bakugou I knew would have rather died than admit any of that, and to let Uraraka go because she was with someone better for her? Never." Mina smiled, kicking her feet from the bar stool, "Besides, you have it all wrong I think."

He gave her a quizzical look.

"You thought Deku was better for her, but he was the furthest thing from it. Uraraka only wants to be loved, to be next to the person that she loves, and be happy. Deku could only give her one of those things, he could never stand next to her for long, and she never felt happy even when he did. His work kept him from having a life with her, from building a connection, and that's why Deku was the worst person she could have been with."

"But," He gritted his teeth together, "I'm no better. People still look at me like I'm a villain. If it wasn't the sports festival, then it was getting kidnapped by Shigaraki all those years ago. You know the rumors that spread that I wasn't actually kidnapped, but recruited as a fellow villain."

"Yeah, I remember." She reflected on those years, on the toll it took on Bakugou knowing that people looked down on him for something he didn't do, "I know people still look at you that way, but Uraraka doesn't. Isn't that what matters?"

"That's not the point." He sighed, his hands balling in his hair, "The point is, I don't give a flying fuck about what people think about me. What I do give a fuck about, is the way that they would look at her if she started dating me."

"Isn't that a bit selfish?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're making that decision for her without even considering what she wants." Mina shrugged, "Like I said before, all Uraraka wants is to be loved, to stand next to the person she loves, and be happy. From what I can see, you can do all three of those, right?"

"Yes."

"Then don't worry about anything else!" She slapped his back with a grin, "If you're happy with making her happy, then what's the problem? People talk, it's what they do, so let them. As long as you know what the truth is, and your friends know what the truth is, that's all that matters."

In a rare occurrence, Bakugou smiled, an actual, genuine, soft, smile. Rubbing the back of his neck, he glanced at her and said, "Have you ever thought of becoming a therapist?"

"No way, I have too many issues for that."

"You're telling me."

She laughed, sliding off the stool to stand on her own two feet, "I should get going before I drink too many Big Dicks to drive home."

"I think you better watch how you use that."

"No way, it's way too fun." She winked, "Want a ride home? You have some things to talk about with my girl."

"Nope, I'm not telling her."

She deflated, "Then what was the whole point of this conversation?"

"I just wanted to make sure, is all."

"Make sure of what?"

"None of your fucking business, Pinky."

"Do you want a ride home or not?"

"Yes, please."

When Mina started her car, the first song to play was Deepthroat, of all fucking songs, and Bakugou nearly cried. He watched her dance while whipping the car out into traffic and speed away like a fucking lunatic. Resting his arm on the top of the door he said, "You know, I used to wonder how a freak like Kirishima got a girl like you, but you're just as much of a nutcase. You two are a match made in heaven."

"Aw thanks, sweetheart." Mina said with a wink.

She dropped him off at the door to his complex, calling out to him before he could reach it. Glancing back, he heard her shout, "Tell her!"

"Fuck off."

"Love you too, Baku-babe!" She drawled, before speeding off without giving him the opportunity to respond. God, she was a psycho.

He hadn't intended to open up to Mina in any sort of way, but it all of a sudden just came pouring out of his mouth like the Niagara Falls and he couldn't stop it. He hadn't even realized he felt what he felt until he was saying it. Mina was right, he was smitten with Uraraka, but no matter how much he willed himself to do it, he couldn't tell her any of the things he told Mina. He just…couldn't.

As he was trudging up the steps, he began to feel the temperature rising. By the time he was opening his door, sweat had formed all over his body, and his forehead was dripping. Already knowing just what the hell was going on, he kicked the door closed and hauled ass to his room.

Uraraka had come out of her own to see what the commotion was, and asked, "Hey, are you alright? You don't look so good."

"I'm fine." He panted, really this was not the time. Usually it gave him a heads up, but this time there was no warning. His life was just taking one shitty turn after the other.

"Are you sure?" She asked, but he disappeared into his room before she could be any more nosey.

Uraraka hadn't missed the way his face had been whiter than Ryan Seacrest, or the sweat dampening his shirt. Maybe it was hotter outside than it had been when she was out, or maybe he had been working out? Either way, he dipped into his room as if the KGB was after him, and she wasn't about to get caught up in a Russian scandal.

He'd sure been acting strange lately. Was he that uncomfortable with her living there? She better do a better job of finding other apartments…

Deciding that he probably wasn't coming out anytime soon, she ventured back into her room to Facetime with Tsu. A couple hours went by and she turned off her lights to go to bed. Just as she was about asleep, she heard a heavy thud on the floor from what sounded like the living room.

Instantly going on the defensive, she slowly opened up her door, completely ready to give a beatdown to any intruders. Instead, an icy hand gripped her stomach as her eyes met the sight of Bakugou's unmoving body sprawled across the floor.

"Bakugou?!"

* * *

Eijiro Kirishima did his best to casually lean against a musty cellar wall, reluctantly smoking a cigarette offered to him by one of his targets. The scene in front of him screamed to the hero inside of him to dash forward in action, but his duty kept him from doing so. He flicked the ashes from the cigarette to hide the shaking of his hands.

This moment, the moments to come, were all set into motion weeks prior, and now was finally coming to fruition. It was his biggest mission yet, and he had been more than eager to go undercover, but this was something larger than what they had anticipated.

The mission, summed up for understanding's sake, was to go under in a human trafficking ring run by a villain of high caliber and little information. It was something that wasn't unlike other missions Kirishima had done before, but the sight in front of him wasn't what he signed up for. To be fair, even Blade probably didn't know about it. It was still too early for him to get word to anyone, the boss had his eyes set on him as the newcomer, and he wasn't looking away anytime soon.

The men around him cheered, and he threw the butt of his cigarette to the ground, stubbing it out with his toe. Jamming his hands in his pockets, he clenched his jaw to calm the racing of his heart. Metal clanked, and a stream of red ribboned through the air. He forced his face to remain neutral, and nudged the guy who'd given him the cigarette, nodding in thanks when he held out another.

Lighting it and taking a drag, Kirishima watched as blood soaked into sand, and a lifeless body was drug away while the living cheered.

* * *

 ** _A/N: Helooooo everyone! I found extra time this weekend and took my opportunity to write! I know we have sort of a soft Baku in this chapter, but I KNOW it's there deep down in that angry body of his, and by golly I'm going to write it. Also, how about that absolutely beautiful bro moment in this week's ep? Honestly, it was so wholesome that I can't even today._**

 ** _Karlamoose: I feel so happy knowing you check for my updates, thank you! I absolutely love my bb Kirishima, so obviously I have to make him super manly. It's also fun because I get to write them older and more experienced!_**

 ** _Justrose: Flip yeah favorite ship! Thank you!_**

 ** _Asshamburger: And thank you for the compliment! I also love your username, it's totally something Bakugou would insult someone with. Can I use it in the future?_**

 ** _Awkwardmarmar: Fluff is literally the best and I fall for it every fricken time._**

 ** _If you were wondering, yes, the Big Dick is REAL, and it's like God himself made it. That doesn't sound right, but I'm not taking it back. It's so fucking good my dudes, I could drink fifty if it wouldn't kill me._**

 ** _Stay tuned for ~Uraraka's feelings~ in the next chapter, and maybe just a little angst thrown in the mix because I'm trash. Also, is Kirishima okay?_**

 ** _As always, thanks to everyone who's read, reviewed, favorited and followed so far, you guys rock!_**

 ** _Until next time!_**


	6. Bakugou's Fucking Bad at Being Sick

"Bakugou?!"

Uraraka crossed the room in two seconds flat, dropping to her knees next to him, and turned him over with fumbling hands. The first thing she noticed, was how hot he was, and not in the good way. His body was soaked with sweat, face beet red with an obvious fever. His brows were furrowed together, jaw clenched, and eyes squeezed shut as he panted on the floor.

She knew she needed to do something to get his fever down, but it was honestly so high that she knew it wasn't normal. His skin was scorching hot, so much so that it felt as if he were melting from the inside out. What the heck was happening? Kirishima would probably know, but he was out undercover. Maybe Mina would?

"Uraraka…"

Her eyes snapped down to him as she cradled his upper half in her arms, "Bakugou! What's going on?"

But he didn't seem to be awake, his head lolling to the side, which made her panic even more. Dragging him toward the couch, she propped him up against it and ran to the kitchen. She should definitely call the hospital, or the emergency line. Bakugou was in serious trouble, at this rate, he would die. She scrambled around trying to find a phone, but of course he didn't have one easily accessible.

Her hands were shaking, and she could feel the tremble creeping to her arms and jaw. Pausing next to the refrigerator, she took a deep breath. It would do no good panicking in a situation like this. Bakugou needed help, and she was the only one who could get it for him. She was a hero now, and he needed saving.

Clenching her fists, she shook her head and turned to go find her phone. What she didn't expect was to find Bakugou standing nearly on top of her, forearm propped up on the wall to keep him steady. He was bent over, body shaking, but on his feet as he reached out to wrap his fingers around her wrist, "No…hospital."

"What? No way!" She said, "You can't even stand up, what's happening?"

"It's my quirk." He grunted, "Every now and then…I get sick like this…it's not a big deal."

"Not a big deal, my ass!" She exclaimed, "You're burning up!"

He took a step toward her, but his knees crumbled, and he fell forward. She caught him under his arms, barely able to keep upright. God, he was freaking heavy, how could someone so slim be this heavy? His head was resting on her shoulder, mouth muffled as he tried to say something.

She glanced down at him, "What?"

"The bathtub," He breathed, "Just…take me to the tub."

" _The tub_?" She asked, "Bakugou, you need medicine-"

He gripped her shoulders with his hands, pushing himself upright, "Fine. I'll get there my fucking self."

He swayed dangerously backwards, and she just managed to wrap her arms around his middle. There was no way she could drag his entire weight to the bathroom, so she did the only thing she could think of. Activating her quirk, she easily lifted him into the air, steering him to the bathroom to gently set him in the bathtub. When she released her quirk, there was the familiar tug of nausea in her stomach, but she'd learned to control it.

His breathing was getting worse, now more labored than a few minutes ago. The pants had turned to heavy breathing, as if he'd just ran a marathon. He groaned once, his back arching off of the bathtub, and then he let out a small cry. Flinching, she turned on the coldest water she could set it to, willing the water to run faster.

Knowing his clothes were only getting in the way, she took a deep breath and then quickly started removing his shirt. Despite the fact that it was helping him, she still felt awkward, especially when she hooked her fingers in the waistband of his black sweatpants. This was definitely not the way she imagined she would be taking them off, that's for sure. Luck was also on her side that he was wearing black briefs.

She sat cross legged on the floor next to the tub, watching as the water finally rose up past his stomach. When it reached his chest, he finally began to relax, and Uraraka's shoulders felt less stiff. She turned the water off when it was mere inches from the top of the tub, reaching just below his shoulders. He was so warm that steam was rolling off of him as he laid in the water, his body slumping to the side to rest against the wall.

That was where she sat for another hour, too afraid to leave his side even to get her phone. His breathing slowly reduced to slow deep breaths, but his cheeks were still burning, and the sweat continued to roll down his face and dampen his hair. At one point, he managed to crack open an eye and hoarsely say, "Not…cold enough."

Uraraka bit her lip as his eyelid drooped and he slipped back into unconsciousness. Not cold enough? It was the coldest she could get, but she figured the temperature his body had been at had already warmed it up. She stuck her hand in and confirmed her suspicions, it was lukewarm now. When she'd first ran it, it had been as cold as ice…

Ice! That was it! Snapping her fingers, she quickly went to the kitchen to open the icebox. Thankfully, it was full, and she managed to figure out how to get it out of the fridge. Ever so delicately, she shuffled the ice into the tub with her hand, making sure not to hit him with any. This seemed to do the trick.

Now, she waited, sitting quietly on the floor next to him. Her pulse had finally come down and was no longer racing, and she sighed. What a night. She'd been so scared seeing him on the floor like that, especially in pain. He said it was his quirk, but she'd never seen him go through anything like this before. She raked her brain to try and think of a time when he ever would have mentioned it. The only think she could think of, was the few times he missed school because he was sick. If she would have known he was this bad, she would have paid extra attention.

After a while, she brought in her pillow and blanket, along with her phone and laptop. After setting out her bed for the night, and propping the laptop on the toilet, she turned off the lights and started up Netflix. Bakugou would periodically stir and mumble something incoherently, and Uraraka would make sure he was okay.

At three in the morning, she heard the water slosh and the tub creak as Bakugou sat up. She did the same, asking, "Hey, are you awake?"

"Uraraka?" He asked, "Where am I?"

"In the bathroom," She said, "you wanted to get in the bathtub."

"Oh yeah…" He slumped back against the tub, sighing, "Thank you."

Boy, he really was sick, there was no way he'd say thank you to anyone. "Are you feeling better?"

He shook his head, "I feel like ass. I won't remember any of this in the morning."

"What is actually going on?"

He glanced at her, looking as though he were ready to fall back asleep, "Every now and then, my quirk builds up so much that I get really sick. My body temperature doubles, and even though my organs are able to withstand it, it's still really painful. I also get really delirious, which I probably am right now."

"When does it wear off?"

"I'll be fine in the morning, it doesn't last long."

"Good," She said softly, "I was really worried."

"Why?" He asked, "I haven't really given you a good reason to worry over me.."

"Because," She flashed him a smile, "we're partners, right?"

"Yeah," He closed his eyes, "we are." They fell into silence after that, and she thought he fell asleep, until he quietly asked, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"What happened? With Deku?" He opened one eye, "You were so into him."

Uraraka was completely caught off guard by his question. She didn't think he would ever be interested in her failed relationship. "Well," She sighed, "there were a lot of things that happened that built up over time. I don't think it was either of our faults, just circumstances that neither of us saw coming. Deku got really popular because of everything that happened in high school, and I didn't. That would have been okay, but as his popularity grew, so did the amount of time he spent away from home. I barely ever saw him, and when I did, he was still in hero mode. I wanted him to let go of his job just for a little while, just for the times we were together, but you know Deku, he just couldn't."

"Tch." Bakugou said.

She chuckled, "Yeah, and everything we had at the beginning of our relationship just sort of fizzled out. Every trip he came home after, he seemed like a new person, until the Deku I knew seemed like a distant memory. After a while, I realized I wasn't in love anymore. Then I began to think that maybe I wasn't actually in love at all. I admired him in high school for his drive to become a great hero, and I think I used him to have someone to look up to, to push myself. So, I guess what I'm saying, is that I never loved Deku, I just loved the thought of him. It might sound terrible, but it's the truth."

Bakugou only stared at her, as if trying to process what she was saying. Finally, he blew a puff out of his nose and said, "Just like I thought, Deku will always be a fucking moron."

"Why's that?"

"If it were me," He closed his eyes again, "I would have never let you go."

She felt a blush creeping up against her cheeks, "W-what do you mean?"

"I mean what I say." He breathed, obvious drowsiness coming over him, "Deku lost a good thing, and he's a dumbass for it. The only good thing he ever did was let you go," His head tipped as he nodded off, his next words drifting out of his lips sleepily, "because now maybe I have a chance."

Something in her chest fluttered, and she felt her eyes widen. Had she really heard him correctly? Maybe he meant something differently by that. Bakugou definitely didn't just imply what Uraraka think he did.

But something inside of her screamed with hope that he did. Seeing him at the class reunion had made her so happy, especially because he still took the initiative to talk to her above the others. She had felt bad about the look in Deku's eyes as he watched them together, and undoubtedly leave together. But truth be told, the only reason Uraraka went to that stupid reunion, was to see Bakugou, and she'd be damned if she was going to let Deku ruin any more of her happiness than he already had.

The fact that they had been partnered was something she really didn't see coming. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, especially because that meant she was able to spend most of her time with him, but it also meant that she'd have to endure her growing feelings alone. There had always been something there, itching in the back of her mind, when she'd looked at him in high school. She had admired him back then, despite his constant anger. The sports festival had only made the itch worse, because he fought her as he'd fight anyone else, not holding back just because she was a girl. Most people might not see that as a good thing, but the fact that he acknowledged her in his own way, was something no one else had ever done. Not even Deku.

And that was something Uraraka wanted above all else.

She realized she liked Bakugou, actually liked him, a few days before she ended things with Deku. That itch had always remained, but it was when she saw him on the tv, for the first time in years, doing an interview after bringing down a villain, that she felt it. She felt the pull in her stomach and the twist in her chest, the longing to see him again, even to hear him call her round face. She wanted that more than anything. She wanted _him_ more than anything.

So that, mixed with the reasons she'd explained before, compelled her to end things with Deku. It wasn't fair for him to be in a relationship with someone who wanted someone else. She felt like the worst piece of trash in the world, but everyone deserves to be happy, and if she'd stayed with Deku, she knew she never would be.

Now that she was sitting there next to him, watching him go through something that brought him pain, she was happy she'd made her decision. If she wouldn't have been there, who knows what could have happened.

And now, maybe there was hope after all.

* * *

The first thing he noticed, was the fact that he was wet. And naked? Bakugou's eyes snapped open and he looked around in momentary confusion. Okay, he was in the bathtub, submerged in freezing water, luckily with his underwear still on. What the hell had happened?

A bright light caught his attention now that he figured out he was safe, and he looked over to find a laptop propped up on the toilet. Its light illuminated a lump on the floor, and he was surprised to find Uraraka asleep, under a blanket, on the floor next to him. Despite the circumstances, he took a moment to admire the soft look on her face as she slept. Did he look the same?

As he sat up, the water sloshed around him, making her stir. He froze, watching as her eyes fluttered open, and she looked around in a sleepy daze. Their eyes met, and hers widened as she rocketed upright, placing a hand on his forehead and asking, "Bakugou! Are you alright? How do you feel? Is it over?"

He stared at her blankly, her face hovering over him stiff with worry, "Did I black out?"

"Yeah," She glanced down at him, and then sat back on her knees, "you really don't remember? I mean, you said you wouldn't, but still."

He sighed. So he'd gotten sick again. Now that he thought about it, he did remember feeling the beginning of his fever after his conversation with Mina. The last thing he could remember, was lying down in his bed before falling asleep. "Did you…put me in here?"

"Yep," She smiled, "it wasn't easy, but I managed. It's a good thing my quirk makes it easy to pick things up and put them down. You nearly gave me a heart attack passing out on the floor like that."

Maybe it was still the lingering affects of his deliriousness, he didn't know, but something caused a small smile to cross his lips, and he said, "Thank you…for looking out for me."

This seemed to make her happy, because the way she was looking at him was like she'd just saved someone's life, "Of course, silly, what else would I have done?"

"Let me die."

"That defeats the purpose of being a hero."

She helped him out of the tub, his body still weak from the fever, and down the hall to his room. He got some clothes out of his dresser and laid back in his bed. Sighing, he thought of the way she'd laid on the floor next to him all night, and his chest constricted. She really was something else. How the hell was he supposed to effectively tell her thank you for taking care of him? Being nice wasn't really his MO. He didn't have much experience with it. Then again, if he really wanted to try to win Uraraka's heart, he knew he better start trying.

Venturing out into the living room, he found her with a bowl of popcorn and Catfish playing on the tv. He sat down next to her, throwing a suspicious glance her way, "I didn't think you liked Catfish."

"I never really gave it a chance." She shrugged, "But Mina said I should start watching more of it for some reason."

He grinned, "Did she now?"

"Yep."

Propping his feet up on the coffee table, he reached over and dug out a handful of popcorn, "You got anywhere to be today, round face?"

"Nope, it's the weekend."

"Good, I'm still feeling a little like ass."

"Want to watch Catfish and eat snacks all day?"

"Fuck yeah."

* * *

 ** _A/N: Hello, hello, my dudes! This week was uber crazy, but here I am! Thanks for all the love and support!_**

 ** _Going along with the cheesiness of this story, you can't have a good romance without someone getting sick and the other taking care of them. You just can't!_**

 ** _Also, totally forgot to tell everyone that I created a KiriMina story that parallels this one! It'll have most of the same KiriBaku interactions, but it's focused on Kirishima and Mina's relationship, and will go more in depth on his undercover mission! (Also, it's rated M for sexy time) Check out Because We're Together if you want to have more of a good time!_**

 ** _Clarissa Kirishima: You called it! I like to carry over themes from other works, and I just like the idea of Baku having a vulnerability. It also adds a fun story…_**

 ** _.1881: My meme brain popped that image up right away when I wrote it, and there was no flippin way I wasn't adding it!_**

 ** _Kigaroo: I'm all for adding in awkward memes!_**

 ** _Anon: I always try, especially when I have great followers!_**

 ** _: Bakugou IS a rich suburban lady, I just know it._**

 ** _Lachica1799: I can't guarantee or deny Kirishima's safety, sadly. Obviously I know what happens, but it's no fun spoiling it! You wrote great in English, I really appreciate the review! I hope you continue!_**

 ** _Asshamburger: He definitely keeps a journal in his bedside table with a list!_**

 ** _NumberSixteen: Thank you for the review, I'll do my best!_**

 ** _Rhearenee: I'm loving writing a mature and confused Baku, and I'm happy everyone likes it. His mom is definitely going to cause him more problems in chapters to come!_**

 ** _As always, thank you to everyone who's read, reviewed, favorited, and followed this story so far. You guys rock!_**

 ** _Until next time!_**


	7. Weird-Ass Things are Going On

The sun was warm against Uraraka's face as she turned it up to the sky. There wasn't a single cloud in sight, the birds happily flying around the skyscrapers with ease. There was a light breeze that ruffled her ponytail and gave some relief to the warmth of the day. Her hero costume was light and built to breathe, but the long sleeves didn't do much good in the summertime.

Bakugou's hair was also kissed by the wind as he trudged along the sidewalk in front of her, his shoulders swaying with confidence. She couldn't help but admire his muscled arms, uncovered by his costume, and the way his back flexed as he walked. Ever since the night he got sick, when he unknowingly told her his feelings, she couldn't stop thinking about it. Her mind would wander to thoughts of him, and when he was around, she would steal glances of his unassuming form.

This is exactly what she was doing at that moment, watching him from behind as they patrolled the city streets. He was taller since high school, dwarfing her completely. His platinum hair shone in the sunlight, drawing more than just her attention.

Passersby looked to the heroes as they strode past, politely smiling and calling greetings. Bakugou just kept walking, so it was up to Uraraka to return the kindness. Eventually she wandered to his side, looking up at him to say, "Would it kill you to look a little nicer?"

"Yes."

She shot him a look, "Come on, at least say hi to someone when they say hi to you."

"I didn't before, and I won't now." He muttered as they turned into a residential district. It was made up of mostly apartments, but there were still businesses and restaurants that lined the streets.

Just as she was about to respond, a chorus of, "Ground Zero!"'s erupted as a mob of children surrounded Bakugou. They hugged up around him on all sides, grinning at him with excitement. Some of them wore makeshift black masks like him, others with shirts with red X's on the front, like Bakugou's hero costume. He glared down at them, but there was a softness about it, one that said he was accustomed to this.

"What are you brats up to now?" He asked.

They all looked up at him like he was the eight wonder of the world, similarly to how he must have looked at All Might. One little boy, with short black hair, said, "We're on patrol, like you Ground Zero!"

"Yeah, we're doing what you told us to do!" Another child's voice said from the mob. There were probably twelve kids in total, believe it or not.

Bakugou crossed his arms, "Are you doing the other thing I told you to do?"

"Yeah!" The first boy said with excitement, "We've been keeping an eye out, and we've noticed some strange stuff."

"Like?"

"Well, do you remember Hinata?"

"The short girl with curly hair?"

"Yeah!" The boy's excitement dimmed, "She went missing the other day, and no one can find her. Jack said he saw her talking to some guy in a fancy car." One of the boys behind Bakugou, presumably Jack, nodded, "After that, no one has seen her!"

"I'm impressed." Bakugou said, and he actually was, "Anything else to report?"

"I helped Mrs. Tanaka get her cat unstuck from a fence." A girl to his right said, "His head was caught."

"Nice job, Karren." Bakugou said, holding out a fist. She gleefully bumped it with her own, "Do you guys know of anyone else that went missing?"

They shook their heads, "No, but Hideyoshi says he saw a fancy car like Jack saw the other day."

"Where?"

"By my house." Hideyoshi said, "It was sitting across the street."

"And how's your sis, Hide?" Bakugou asked.

"She's good, why?"

"Was she talking to the car?"

"I don't think so." Hide cocked his head, "But I don't really know."

Bakugou put his hands on his hip, looking down at the kids, "Good job, guys, keep up the good work. Heroes do things big and small. Just remember that as long as you're helping others, you're a hero in their eyes."

The kids smiled, making noises of excitement as they wiggled around him. Uraraka watched in amazement as Bakugou interacted with them, not for a million years, expecting something like this to happen. She wasn't even aware that he was capable of being considerate of adults, let alone children, but there he was, encouraging all of them.

Yeah, they looked at him like he used to look at All Might. But to them, Bakugou _was_ their All Might.

"Oh right," Bakugou cleared his throat, glancing at Uraraka, "Guys, this is my new partner, Uravity."

The kids turned their gazes on her, and she said, "Hi there!"

"She's going to be with me for a while now, so get used to seeing her."

For the next ten minutes, Uraraka got to know their names and where they lived in the district. Most of them had parents that were businessmen, so they spent their days playing with each other when they weren't in school. It reminded her of high school, when she lived away from her parents and spent her time with her friends.

They were excited to tell her all about their weekly missions from Bakugou. She learned from them that he would visit every Monday for sure, to enlist their help in a new way. His missions were simple to an adult, but to a kid, they were serious. Cleaning up the litter was one of their biggest to-do's, along with helping at least one person a day, and being safe. The one mission he gave them that never ceased, was watching out for any strange activity in their neighborhood, and to report something right away if they saw something.

Bakugou would stop by on other days of the week if he was able to, but he always made sure to stop on Mondays. That was when the kids would dress up in their Ground Zero hero gear and wait for him by the park. Uraraka had been his partner for a couple weeks now, but the heroes who patrolled parallel to them, had been on different assignments. The reason Uraraka hadn't met them yet, was because she had taken their assignment and split up from Bakugou for a few hours.

It made her heart soar.

"Bye Ground Zero!" They called as Bakugou and Uraraka left the park, "Bye Uravity!"

"Bye, bye!" She waved with a smile.

"Seeya, brats." Bakugou said.

"They were so cute." Uraraka said smiling up at him, "I had no idea you like kids so much."

He shrugged, "Those weirdoes would watch me and Saiko do our patrol all the time. Then one day they all showed up dressed like me and asked for an autograph. Reggie, the little chatterbox with short hair, said they all watched the news when I helped take down that vine villain a few years ago. They recognized me during the news interview and thought it was cool that I patrolled their district. So, that's how it all started."

"I think it's great that you encourage them like that. And giving them special missions seems to really boost their confidence. It's also good that they don't require them to use their quirks."

He trained his gaze on the ground, "Yeah, well, I thought them up specifically, so they didn't have to. Those kids…they're not orphans, per say, but they might as well be. Their parents don't want them, not that they know that."

"What?" Uraraka felt a pang of sadness in her chest, "Why?"

"This is a special district that families were placed in for one reason." He glanced at her, "None of those kids have any quirks."

Uraraka blinked, "They don't have a quirk?"

"No. This district is a black mark in the city, not because it's violent or crime-ridden. It's actually quiet and peaceful. But, this is the place people joke about. Not having a quirk is seen as weak and pathetic, and can ruin your social standing. That's why the parents here are usually not around." He explained.

"That's terrible." Uraraka commented, feeling a frown set in her face, "Those kids are all so sweet and want to help their neighborhood."

"All they want is a purpose." Bakugou said quietly, "All they want is someone to tell them that they're doing a good job, to actually acknowledge them. Who am I, as a hero, not to do something like that?"

The tenderness in his voice made her eyes widen, and for the first time, she wondered who exactly was walking next to her. This whole time, she thought he hadn't changed at all since high school, but she had been dead wrong. This Bakugou, the one who spoke so tenderly about a group of quirkless children, was someone new. He was someone she fell even harder for.

"Why are you staring at me like that, it's fucking creepy." He said, snapping her out of her thoughts and making her blush.

"I was just thinking that you never used to be like this." She said, "Before, you used to look down on people who didn't have quirks."

He looked away, hiding whatever emotion that had been on his face. Was it shame? "Yeah, well…whatever." He stopped in front of a large white house, a wrought iron gate blocking the driveway.

"What are we doing?" She asked.

He poked the doorbell on the outside of the gate, saying, "Hide said that car was parked outside of his house, the one that Hinata was supposedly talking to before she disappeared. I know the local law enforcement was investigating a missing person's case, so I told the kids to keep an extra watch out, but not to do anything stupid. I want to talk to Hide's sister Kay to see if she saw it, too."

"Oh, right." Uraraka heard the gate click and it slid open as a very attractive girl with blonde hair strode down the small driveway, "You think it's something dangerous?"

"Don't know." He said, "But it's better to be safe than sorry, right?"

"Can I help you?" The girl asked as she neared.

"My name is Katsuki Bakugou, I'm pro hero Ground Zero, and this is my partner, Uraraka." Bakugou introduced, "Can we ask you a few questions?"

She crossed her arms, "About?"

"I know your younger brother, Hide." Bakugou said, making her roll her eyes, "He told me there was a car parked outside of your house a few days ago."

"There's lots of cars parked outside of my house." She said, "What's wrong with it?"

"You're name's Kay, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you see the car?"

"Like I said, there's lots of cars."

"It's black, higher end than most vehicles around here. I'm sure it would stand out." Bakugou said, putting his hands on his hips, "I'm not trying to hassle you or anything, but the kids seem concerned about it, especially with the recent disappearance of Hinata Morikoshi."

Kay sighed, the defiant teenage look fading away, "Okay, yeah, I saw it. I was coming home from school when he asked me for directions. We got to talking, and he told me he's a professional photographer. He wanted to take some pictures of girls for a portfolio he was doing. Apparently, some clothing magazine editorial wanted him to get some pictures with their summer line. He asked if I wanted to model in some."

"What did you say?"

"I told him I'd have to ask my parents."

"How did he react to that?"

"Fine." She shrugged, "He gave me his business card to call him when I made up my mind. I haven't told my parents yet because I'm scared they'll yell at me for talking to a stranger."

"You're lucky _I_ don't yell at you for talking to a stranger." Bakugou said, "Can I see the business card?"

"Sure, I'll go get it, one sec." She jogged back to the house to get the card, leaving Uraraka and Bakugou standing alone.

"What do you think?" She asked.

"Obvious scheme going on." He answered, "Usually photographers and magazines put out casting calls, they don't just roll up on someone on the street. You'd think people would learn after so many episodes of Forensic Files dealing with this exact situation."

"I agree, it's too creepy." Uraraka said, hugging her arms, "But to girls her age, who want to be pretty and famous, it's the answer to their problems. They're easily convinced."

Kay came back out of the house and handed Bakugou the card, saying, "That's the card he gave me."

"I'm taking this with me, it's best if you don't talk to him anymore, understand?"

"Why? You think he's dangerous?" She asked.

"I don't know, but something tells me he's not a professional photographer." Bakugou put the card in his pocket and then produced one of his own, "If you see him or the car around here again, call me right away. I mean it."

"Okay, I will."

"Kay," Bakugou's gaze bored into her, a pro hero's authority, "do not, under any circumstances, talk to that guy again, do you understand?"

"…Yes."

"I know what it's like to be a teenager and wanting to make a name for yourself," Bakugou put a hand on her shoulder, "but you have to do it on your own. No one can make you go anywhere but yourself. They can help, but in the end, you're your own hero. Remember, that, okay?"

The defense put up, slipped away, and she nodded, "Okay, I promise I won't talk to him."

"Good," Bakugou turned to start walking, "Hide needs you, don't forget that."

They finished their patrol of the district, and started their trip back to the agency to check in for the night. Uraraka was left to think about the car, and the startling nature of it. One girl missing, another preyed upon. Maybe it was nothing, but then again, maybe it was something.

"Stop thinking about it." Bakugou said next to her.

"What?" She asked, nervous that she might have said something out loud.

"I know you," He glanced at her, "you'll stir this over in your head so much that it'll naw at you. We'll bring it up to Blade when we get back, so stop worrying about it."

She gave him a small smile, "How'd you know I was thinking about it?"

"You play with your hair when something's bothering you." He said, jamming his hands in his pockets.

Uraraka hid a smile, "Really?"

Their shoulders brushed together, and she found herself wishing she could lean into him, to rest her head on his shoulder. What she wouldn't give to feel his arm wrap around her, pulling her close to him.

They arrived back at the agency, and reported their findings to Blade. He was impressed, telling them he would report it to the local authorities right away. With that, they ended their day and picked up takeout on the way home.

Sprawled out on the couch, with their feet up on the coffee table, they patted their full stomachs and watched Catfish. Bakugou records every episode ever, by the way. When the clock showed ten, Uraraka sat up and said, "I think I'm going to bed."

"Same." Bakugou said, scratching the back of his head.

"Good night!" She said with a smile, padding across the living room.

Before she could enter the hall, Bakugou called her name, making her look toward him. He still sat how he had before, his eyes on the tv, but not really watching it, "Do you think…never mind."

"What?" She asked, "You can tell me."

"Go to sleep, round face." He muttered, "It wasn't important."

"Okay then, goodnight."

"Night." He said, for the thousandth time failing at trying to decipher if she felt anything at all for him. If she had longed to be in his arms, just as much as he had to feel her in them.

It was probably just wishful thinking.

* * *

"Yo, Shirazu, boss wants you in his office!"

Kirishima turned away from the poker board in front of him, to glance at the person who'd called for him. Jack Tachibana had his thumb thrown over his shoulder, his pin-striped suit ruffled from the obvious outing he'd just had.

"For what?"

"Fuck if I know, just go." Jack shrugged, taking his seat at the poker table.

Kirishima swallowed hard. He'd been undercover with them for a few weeks now, gathering as much intel as he could without being too obvious. He made sure to cover every move, so it wasn't possible for them to have found him out.

But what if he'd slipped up? Maybe he wasn't good enough. Maybe it was just an honest mistake. Maybe the boss just wanted to check up on him, it wasn't something he'd never done before.

He paused in front of his office door, trying to push the negative thoughts aside. With a deep breath, he knocked on the door and waited for him to answer.

"Yes."

Kirishima pushed open the door, revealing a small room. Bookshelves lined the walls, and two couches faced each other in the middle. Along the opposite wall of the door, the boss's desk sat in front of a large window, and seated at the desk, was the boss himself. Ginshou Hiragi, a massive bald-headed man that would rival All Might's glory days, sat with his chin resting in threaded fingers, and unreadable expression on his face, "Sit."

Kirishima moved silently to the chair in front of his desk, sinking down into it, and hoping to whoever was up there, that he would be able to rise back out. "Good afternoon, Boss."

"How are you, Shirazu?"

"I'm fine."

"The boys treating you good?"

"It took some warming up, but I think I'm in good standing."

"Good, because you know what? I like you."

"Aw man, that means a lot, Boss." Kirishima said cheerfully, "Really. Being the new guy, I was worried no one would trust me."

"It's tough to trust someone in this business, Shirazu. Do you want to know the reason I called you to my office today?" Boss asked, but didn't give him enough time to answer, "I have a job for you."

Kirishima felt his eyes widen genuinely. This was it! His hard work was paying off! Get close to Boss, get him to trust him enough to spill his secrets. He was one step closer to another successful mission. He really hadn't called him to his office for anything bad! "Really? No way! I-I mean, what kind of job, Boss?"

He grinned, "A good one. It involves you going undercover in XX City."

"XX City?" Kirishima asked with interest, "What's there?"

"That's what you're going to find out." Boss said, "I worked closely with my associate to build you an alias and life to go with it. I trust that you'll study the material so well that you become the person I tell you to."

"Of course! I mean, how hard could it be?" Kirishima said with a grin, "So, what's my name?"

Boss leaned back in his chair, placing his hands on either armrest, "How's, Eijiro Kirishima?"

The blood in his veins turned to ice almost instantly, and he felt the color drain out of his blank face. Impossible. Kirishima had covered his steps, he knew he did, Boss shouldn't have ever suspected him. Had he from the very beginning?

"Really? No defense?" Boss asked, "Just going to sit there with a blank look on your face?"

"I…I don't know what you mean." Kirishima tried to laugh, but it sounded more like a whimper, "Sure, Eijiro Kirishima sounds good."

"You can't talk your way out of this one, Kirishima." Boss grinned, showing his white teeth, "I've made you."

"My name is Shirazu, Boss." Kirishima pleaded, "I don't even know anyone named Kirishima!"

"Eijiro Kirishima, twenty-three years old, pro hero Red Riot." Boss listed, "Graduate of UA High, employed at Blade Agency, best friend is Katsuki Bakugou, also known as pro hero Ground Zero."

Bakugou could take care of himself if someone came after him, "You mean the blabbermouth on the news sometimes?"

This time, Boss's gaze locked onto his, and something glinted in the blacks of them, "Girlfriend is Mina Ashido, also known as pro hero, Pinky."

Nausea rose up in his stomach, and it took everything he had not to sweat. Damn, there was no way he could talk himself out of this one, Boss had way too much on him. Clenching and unclenching his fists, he asked, "How'd you find me out?"

"It's always the girlfriend." Boss commented, "That's why you shouldn't have one. How did I know you were a spy? When we first met, I couldn't help but think that I saw you somewhere once. I knew I did, but I couldn't place my finger on it. It ate at me until the Sports Festival last weekend. I was watching it, when I realized that was where I recognized you from. You fought that silver guy and beat him. That was one of the most exciting Sports Festivals in history, so I remember it clearly. Being that you were a student there, I took it upon myself to make sure you weren't a hero, and what did I find?"

"That I was a hero."

"Bingo." Boss said, "It's really bad luck for you that the Sports Festival happened to be around this time. If it weren't for that, I would have never known. You're a good infiltrator, Kirishima, I wouldn't have suspected you of being a spy."

"So now what?" Kirishima asked, "Gonna have your guys kill me?"

Boss laughed, "Oh no, first I'm going to find out how much you know about me and the organization, and how much you've told your friends. Then my men will kill you."

"They might as well just do it then." Kirishima said confidently, despite the sweat rolling down his back, "I won't spill."

Boss laughed as the door behind Kirishima slowly opened. He heard footsteps approaching from behind, and knew they belonged to his torturers.

"We'll see."

* * *

 ** _A/N: Dun, dun, dunnnnn! I'll leave it at that…_**

 ** _I don't really have much to say on my own today, I'm completely exhausted from work and put my best effort forward for this chapter! With that being said, I'm a little disappointed in it, but I managed to keep the mature Bakugou theme. I always thought that he would try to influence people in his own way, sort of like All Might, and who doesn't love a guy that encourages kids? Especially kids that don't have quirks, like Midoriya, who he hated for it. I kind of had the idea that eventually Baku would feel a little guilty for how he treated Deku, but cannon, maybe not…_**

 ** _Clarissa Kirishima: You and me both about the someone sick scenario. It's so cliché but I just fricking love it!_**

 ** _FreelanceWrter365: Thank you and welcome to the craziness!_**

 ** _Angel of Pandemonium: I just noticed that some people in My Hero get drawbacks from their quirks, or have special activators, (even tho Baku has to sweat in order to explode). Thank you!_**

 ** _Lachica1799: Hmm, what did Uraraka watch? I would definitely say Game of Thrones if it was on there, maybe Godless? I love Godless…Completely necessary advancement on the romance part!_**

 ** _Chinitadere: Thank you for the awesome compliments! As an author, I really enjoy it when people have nice things to say about what I do! Uraraka hasn't done a single thing about this confession, and I'm sort of triggered by it even though I wrote it? Trying to slow build is so hard sometimes!_**

 ** _Rhearenee: This drawback has been talked about in other fics that I've done with him, so originally it was a valid thought I had. In this story, I mostly used it for the cliché aspect, though. Thanks for the view!_**

 ** _I just want everyone to know that I finished writing this while watching Return of the King, because Lord of the Rings is my absolute favorite series EVER._**

 ** _As always, thank you to everyone who's read, reviewed, favorited, and followed this story so far! You guys rock!_**

 ** _Until next time._**


	8. The Night Everything got Fucked Up

If there was one thing Uraraka hated, it was storms. Not the rain and thunder type, but the ones where the wind howled through the cracks in the window, and the lightening cast shadows across the walls. That night, the rain pelted the side of the apartment where her head lay, and she found herself wide awake. A crack of thunder made her jump out of bed and head for the kitchen, what's a little midnight snack every now and then?

The lightening lit up the kitchen and living room as she came out of the hall, making her heart beat a little faster. It probably didn't help that she'd watched a horror movie before bed. Turning on the soft kitchen light, she rummaged around in the fridge for a snack, before turning to the living room.

Bakugou had stayed late at the office to finish up paperwork, something about getting together the necessary documents for the investigative division to check out Kay and Hide's house. After living with him for the past couple weeks, she noticed that he tended to overwork himself. This wasn't the first time he'd been at the agency past midnight, trusting her with the keys to his apartment.

It was two o'clock when he finally came through the front door, his eyes red from being glued to computer screens for so long. His normal wild ashen hair was stuck to his face, the rest hanging down wet from the rain. She'd never seen him with his hair plastered down like that. It was cute.

"What the fuck are you doing still awake?" He grunted, kicking the door shut with his foot, "It's two a.m."

She felt her cheeks redden as she said, "I…don't like storms."

He arched an eyebrow, "So you can take down villains and jump into burning buildings, but the minute it gets loud outside, you're scared?"

"Sounds dumb, right?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?"

She watched as he kicked off his boots, straightening them nicely before trudging across the living room and into his bedroom. After a few moments he emerged with a small stack of dry clothes and journeyed to the bathroom. The water turned on for a couple minutes, before Bakugou emerged wearing black sweatpants and a grey t-shirt. Instead of his usual tight-fitted shirts, this one was baggy and long, and something about it made him look ten times more attractive.

This was why Uraraka had to keep her eyes glued to the TV, afraid that her whole face may go red if she stared any longer. Did he ever feel this way about her? Her heart was pounding as he plopped down next to her, leaning his back against the armrest and kicking his feet up next to her. He jerked his chin toward the TV and asked, "Really? My Cat from Hell?"

"What? Jackson Galaxy is a hero." She countered.

"Hero my ass."

This time she allowed herself to glance at him. He had his right arm propped up on the couch, his hand covering his mouth, allowing him to rest his head against it. His damp hair smelled like his shampoo, red eyes glowing from the TV screen. There had never been a time where Uraraka wanted to fall into him more, to lay her head on his chest.

As if reading her thoughts, his eyes flicked to her suspiciously, and he turned his head to face her, "What are you staring at me for? You've been doing that a lot lately."

She had? "Oh…really?" She asked, "I don't mean it. I just kind of space out."

"Sure." He grinned, "You just like what you see."

"W-what? I-I don't-I mean-" She stammered, feeling the heat rising up her neck and into her face as Bakugou's playful expression dimmed, "That is not-"

"Relax angel-face," He muttered, "I didn't mean anything by it."

Deciding to test the waters, Uraraka said, "Can I ask you a personal question?"

"It's two in the morning," He crossed his arms, "what could you possibly have to ask at two in the fucking morning?"

"Hey, all deep conversations happen at two in the morning. We had one when you were hallucinating." She shot back.

That seemed to catch his interest, "Oh really? About what?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Like I give a fuck." But she could see the thought nagging in the back of his mind. What exactly did they talk about, he was wondering.

"You confessed your love for me." She said in a joking tone, despite the fact that it wasn't really much of a joke.

"Yeah fucking right." He met her gaze. He did a fantastic job of not looking paranoid, she might have second guessed that night, if he'd really meant it, if it wasn't for the fact that his eyes gave him away. There was a small glint, so small she could have missed it, that looked worried. Just what exactly had he said to her? "Like I'd like someone like you."

She shrugged, "Hey I'm just saying what you said."

"Bullshit." He spat, and then looked away, "What'd you want to ask me, anyway?"

"I thought it was too early in the morning for that?"

"Fine, then don't fucking ask."

She hid a grin, and asked, "Why don't you have a girlfriend?"

He looked at her incredulously, "You really want to know that?"

"I mean, I can guess, but…"

He glared at her, and then looked back at the tv. They sat in silence for a few minutes, Uraraka losing all hope of trying to goad him into giving away some of his feelings for her, until he said, "Because of work."

She glanced at him, "What?"

"I don't have a girlfriend because of work."

"Why's that?"

He shot her a 'really' look, and followed up with, "You just saw it. Most days I stay late at the agency for paperwork or because a call kept me over. I don't have the time to treat someone properly, at least not right now."

"But if you meet the right person, they wouldn't care." She said.

"I haven't really met anyone that gets me going recently," He said quietly, "so there's no need to worry, is there?"

"Recently?" She coaxed, "So you've met someone before?"

If she wasn't mistaken, that was red painting his cheeks, "Did I say that?"

"Not exactly."

"Maybe I did a long time ago," He didn't look at her, "but those feelings were never reciprocated, so here I am."

"Who was it?"

"Does it matter?"

"Someone who catches your attention?" She smiled, "I'd like to know what kind of person that is."

"Why?" His lips quirked, "Want to date me?"

"What if I did?"

This made him snort, "Don't joke with me, pink cheeks."

"Who says I'm joking?"

His eyes flicked to hers, and she realized after a moment that her heart was hammering in her chest. Maybe she'd gone too far. He was still staring at her, this time with an unreadable expression. Suddenly he sat up, leaning forward until he was hovering over her. They were so close she could feel the heat radiating from his body, no doubt from his quirk, and feel herself sink further into the couch as he leaned over her.

"W-what are you doing?" She asked, his suddenly action taking her by surprise.

"You weren't joking, remember?" He asked, the intensity from his gaze making her shiver, "Or were you lying to get a rise out of me?"

"And who's trying to get a rise out of who, now?" She asked.

"So you admit it?"

"No." She didn't back down from his gaze, didn't move away like she knew he thought she would. Coaxing him into confessing to her out the window, she decided she'd had enough of dancing around her feelings for him. The predicament she'd gotten herself into probably wouldn't happen again anytime soon, so it was down to that moment. Despite the fact that this was not how she intended to take the night, she knew it had to happen eventually. With a gulp, she lightly cupped his face with both hands, feeling his jaw clench under their touch, and said, "I wasn't lying, Bakugou."

"What are you doing?" He asked, but failed to sound intimidating.

"Who was it?" She asked, ignoring his question, "That girl you talked about before, the one you liked but didn't like you back?"

"I told you it doesn't matter."

"It does." She said, "To me it does."

He frowned, but finally said, "Me telling you won't change anything."

"You really don't think so?" She asked, taking complete faith that he really had been talking about her, "In this situation, you don't think I'd tell you that I like you?"

"That's depending on whether or not I was actually talking about you, doesn't it?"

"Well you were, weren't you?" Her thumbs ran down along his cheekbones to rest against her index fingers.

"Uraraka…" It was one of the rare instances when he said her name outside of work, sending her heart fluttering painfully in her chest. His eyes traveled down to her lips, half lidded and heavy, as he leaned forward ever so slightly, "Yeah, I was talking about you. So what?"

"So," She tipped her head up, pulling his face closer with her hands, "why don't you ask me how I feel now?"

A clap of thunder and flash of lightening lit up his face for just a moment, frozen with uncertainty. "You… _just_ broke up with Deku."

"You told me when you were sick," She did her best to make her gaze confident, "that you wouldn't make the same mistake he did."

"And what was that?"

"That you would never let me go." She answered, "So don't."

He let out a shaky breath, "You're…if you don't really mean that…"

"Would I be laying underneath you if I didn't?" In another bold move of the night, she snaked her arms around his shoulders, pulling him down against her, "Bakugou, I like you."

She felt him take a deep breath, and then he rested his forehead against hers, his fingers playing with the eges of her hair. "You're really something, you know that?"

"So they say."

"Making me stay up past two a.m. even though we both have to work tomorrow, all because you're afraid of a dumb storm, and then telling me stuff like this?" He rose his head up slightly, "What are you going to do about it?

"Do you want me to take it back?"

"Fuck no." He said, finally closing the distance between them. His kiss was soft, gentle, unlike what Uraraka would have expected from him. Her arms held him firmly against her, one of his hands gripping her waist, the other smoothing her hair back out of her face. The smell of his shampoo, mixed with the natural scent of his nitroglycerin, made her head spin, the taste of sweet cherries and spice on his lips.

They broke away for a moment, allowing each other breath, and Bakugou said, "What am I supposed to do?"

"About what?" She questioned.

Now, there was heat in his gaze, as he said, "How far am I supposed to go?"

This time, the lightening struck inside of Uraraka, and she rose up to press their lips together again, whispering, "As far as you want." against him.

"You should be more careful with what you say, round face." He said, "I've been waiting years for you."

His next kiss was exactly what Uraraka expected from him. Rough and firm, the hand gripping her waist now lifting the hem of her shirt to caress her exposed skin. His lips urged hers apart, and finally she submitted, her fingers digging slightly into his back as his tongue ran along her lower lip-

Suddenly he broke away, pushing himself off of her, leaving her head spinning and too dazed to understand what was wrong. He sprang to his feet, briskly walking into his bedroom to grab a phone with the screen lit up. Over the rush in her ears, she could hear it ringing.

"Ground Zero." He said, holding it to his ear, "What? Calm down, tell me what's happening."

This negated any lingering effects from Bakugou's kiss, causing her to sit up and go into hero mode. Bakugou's eyes hardened and his teeth clenched together, "Stay hidden, I'm coming." He ended the call and shrugged into a dark blue jacket, glancing at Uraraka, "Stay here."

"No way, I'm your partner." She rose up off the couch, "Wherever you're going, I'm going, too."

He grit his teeth together, but threw her a black jacket, "Let's go."

They practically ran down the stairs and into the garage, where Bakugou kept his vehicle. She hadn't even known he owned one, because he walked everywhere or used public transportation. "I keep it for situations like this, when I need to get somewhere fast."

Once on the road, she glanced at him, at his rigid posture and utter hero essence flowing out of him, "So what are we heading into?"

"That was Kay on the phone." He said, "That guy just broke into her house, the one driving the car."

"Are her parents home?" Uraraka asked.

He took a moment to answer, "They were."

She felt her eyes widen, "Hide?"

"He's hiding with Kay, but they only have so much time." He hit a button on the display screen of the car, and a dial tone started.

"This is Blade." A male voice said sleepily.

"It's Bakugou."

"What is it?"

"Teenage girl and child, at risk of kidnapping."

"Where?" When Bakugou answered, Blade said, "I'll send reinforcements. Don't go in alone."

The phone disconnected as Bakugou rounded the corner into the neighborhood, slamming the gas pedal to the floor. As they came upon Kay and Hide's house, there were three vehicles sitting on the curb that stood out from the others. Two cars, one van, the sliding door was open. A group of men emerged from the gate to the house, and Bakugou slammed the car into park.

Before Uraraka could stop him, he was out of the car and running toward them. "Idiot!" She said to herself, as the men caught sight of him, "We don't even know what kind of quirks they have!"

An explosion lit up the quiet night, urging Uraraka's feet to carry her faster toward the sound of fighting. Emerging through the smoke, she barely stepped out of the way of a hail of bullets. Where was Bakugou?

His shouting confirmed that he was at least alive, and she took a deep breath before darting out from behind the van she'd ducked under. This allowed her to gather that there were nine men in total. Two were holding Kay, and two were holding Hide, both of whom were struggling against them. Bakugou had taken out two with his first explosion, leaving three of them to fight immediately.

They weren't making it easy for him to get a clear shot for an explosion without decimating the area around him, as if they'd anticipated that he would be coming. Was it a set up? A trap?

"Ground Zero!" Kay screamed and threw out her arm, drawing his attention. This left him vulnerable for only an instant, but an instant too long. One of the assailants darted out, his arm having morphed into a blade, much like their hero boss. Bakugou looked back, realizing his mistake, but Uraraka wasn't his partner for nothing.

Rain pelted against her as she darted out, throwing out her arm to allow the sword to embed itself in her hand instead of Bakugou's back. Grimacing at the pain, she slapped the guy in the face, sending him floating upward as he tugged his blade free from her palm. Blood dripped down her arm, seeping into the black jacket covering her arms, as she leapt toward the man closest to her. He managed to dodge her swipe the first time, but her bloodied hand managed to make contact with his hand, and he joined his friend up above. The other aimed his gun at her, with no time to dodge, but she felt Bakugou's hands grabbing her to pull her back.

"That's enough!" a deep voice boomed, making the two heroes twist in surprise.

A massive brick wall of a man was clambering out of the car in front of the van. A cigar was gripped between his teeth, his bald head reflecting the bolt of lightening that streaked across the sky, "We have what we came for."

"Like hell!" Bakugou spat, clenching his fists.

"The rain his washing away that flammable sweat of yours, Ground Zero," The man smirked, "You're useless here."

Uraraka hadn't even noticed. She hadn't put two and two together. The real reason Bakugou hadn't used is quirk wasn't because he was holding back, it was because he couldn't. The rain was preventing him from doing so.

Bakugou winced, "Why don't we find out."

Uraraka clutched his arm, watching as one of the men covered the kids' faces, secreting something to cover their mouths, while another threw them into the van. "Bakugou!"

"I know," He said through clenched teeth. She felt the muscles bunch in his arm, knew he was about to attack.

"Why don't we make a trade," Baldy said, flicking his fingers in the air, "I have no more use for him. Depending on whether or not he's still alive, you may get some information about me. It'll make things more fun."

The men in the van rolled something out of the door before slamming it shut. A body lay in a bloodied heap on the ground, still-bleeding wounds causing red to mix with the rain around it. A head of crimson hair made Uraraka's stomach freeze, and Bakugou's body went stiff as his mind comprehended who it was.

"Kirishima!" He shouted, stepping forward.

Uraraka stepped with him, but as her foot made contact with the ground, she felt herself being launched backwards. Her back hit the cement wall that bordered the house, knocking the wind out of her. Sputtering and gasping for breath, she made eye contact with the bald man, who smiled, "I'll be needing them back."

Eyes widening, she realized he'd been the one that threw her into the wall, effectively severing her connection with her quirk and releasing her hold on the two men floating above. They were in the vehicle behind the van in a flash, and the bald-headed man gave her a smile before sinking back into his own. The convoy sped forward and out of sight before Uraraka could even blink.

Bakugou was at her side within seconds, forcing her head up to look into her eyes, "Uraraka, talk to me."

"I'm fine."

"You hit the wall too hard," He felt the back of her head, pulling his hand away to find blood on his fingers, "You're hurt."

"Kirishima," She said, "he didn't look good. How did they get him?"

"I don't know." Bakugou said curtly, the fingers coated in blood shaking with adrenaline, "Fuck, where's the reinforcements? They couldn't have made it too far."

The edges of her vision were growing fuzzy. Maybe she had hit the wall harder than she thought. Dragging her gaze from Bakugou's conflicted face, she focused on Kirishima. Was he even still alive? What had happened to him?

"Bakugou," She pushed against his chest, "I'm fine, you have to see if Kirishima's okay."

His usually confident eyes were now dim and defeated, "I…you're…don't move."

She watched as he rushed to the crimson hero, rolling him onto his back and checking for a pulse. He looked toward her and said something, his lips moving but nothing coming out. She realized after a moment, that it was because the pounding in her head was too strong. The world was starting to swim as red and blue flashing lights contrasted with the lightening in the sky.

Her eyelids drooped, the last thing she remembered seeing being Bakugou springing to his feet.

He fell to his knees at her side, catching her as her body slumped sideways. Fuck. _Fuck_. She was hurt, and it was his fault. He rushed in without thinking because those kids, the kids he promised he would protect, were in trouble. But now his partner, the person he cared the most about, was badly injured because of his hotheadedness.

Kirishima was also down for the count, alive, but barely. His pulse was weak, but it was there, for how long Bakugou wasn't sure. The quiet night was suddenly alive with police sirens and flashing lights as heroes and police officers surrounded the scene.

An ambulance crew descended upon Kirishima as Blade rushed toward Bakugou. He took in Uraraka's unconscious form and then hissed, "I told you not to go in!"

"There were going to take Kay-"

"And they did," Blade said sternly, "the only thing you managed was to get your partner injured."

His words stung, and Bakugou flinched from their truth. Gently lifting Uraraka into his arms, he carried her toward the second ambulance just arriving.

If only the head assailant hadn't been right, if only he wouldn't have been absolutely useless against the pouring rain, he wouldn't have to be carrying his wounded partner. What kind of hero was he, that he couldn't use his quirk because of a little storm? He was pathetic.

Looking down at Uraraka's closed eyes, he was thankful for that cursed rain. At least no one would see the tears falling from his eyes.

* * *

 ** _A/N: Wowowow it has been a long time! Sorry guys, I really am! Crazy things have been happening at work, like crazier than usual! But I work a night shift tonight, so I've been writing all day to crank this out for you! Just so we're clear, this chapter has been a couple weeks since the last one. As you can see, Uraraka's not doing a very good job of finding an apartment…_**

 ** _I've been getting a lot of questions about why Bakugou didn't just sleep in his spare bedroom when he brought Uraraka to his apartment in the first chapter. The official official reason, is that one time Kirishima and Mina stayed in the guest room after a night of partying and totally did it in the bed. So now Bakugou refuses to even step foot in the room if he doesn't have to._**

 ** _Being that I still want to attempt to take a nap before my 12 hour shift, I'm going to forego responding to reviews on the last chapter. Please understand!_**

 ** _As always, thank you, thank you to everyone who's read, reviewed, favorited, and followed this story so far! You guys ultra rock!_**

 ** _Until next time!_**


	9. Feelings and Shit

"Bakugou." Her blood soaked hand reached toward him, chocolate eyes wide with fear, "Bakugou, please-"

A flash of light, the sound of thunder, and then sudden darkness.

"Uraraka!" Bakugou didn't know he was screaming until he came to, sitting upright in bed, the sheets twisted around him. He was gulping for air, skin slick with nitroglycerin sweat, arm still outstretched to reach Uraraka. The softness beneath him meant that he was in his bed, which also meant that he had been dreaming. Once again, the night terrors took over.

Falling back against his bed, he threw an arm over his eyes and groaned, "Fuck."

It had only been three days since Kay and Hide had been kidnapped, and Uraraka injured. Not to mention the fact that Kirishima had been dumped out of that van with injuries so severe, they didn't know if he'd be able to do hero work again. Neither of them had woken up yet, and Bakugou had been suspended from the agency.

What a fucking disgrace. He'd gotten his partner hurt and let the villains take those kids. What kind of a hero was he? His whole life he'd prided himself with his strength, but what did that matter when his partner was jeopardized by his foolishness? Deku, for all of his worthlessness, wouldn't have let this happen, and simply knowing that made Bakugou's stomach churn. He was still second best, still a fucking loser.

Glancing at the clock only made him groan again. Three in the morning and he was wide awake, his nightmares jarring him in such a way that made it hard to close his eyes again. They had started immediately after the attack, usually involving Uraraka dying or getting injured in some sort of gruesome way.

Now that he'd let her in, shared one soft, intimate moment with her, he couldn't stop the feelings from taking over. Of course he'd liked her since high school, but knowing she felt the same way he did, made everything different. Now, especially, he had something to lose, and that had almost happened. Bakugou had never had a problem diving head first into a fight, having several near-death encounters before, because he didn't have anything tying him down. If he died, sure people would be sad, but they'd get over it. Now? He wanted to be with Uraraka, and he'd fucking fight anyone who made her sad, including himself. And if anyone hurt her, they'd die, he swore it.

So, whoever had done this, that bald headed fuck, whatever his name was, was going to die. Bakguou would make sure of it.

Sometime after being an angsty fuck, he had fallen asleep, because the next thing he knew, his phone was ringing. Groggily sliding to talk, he held it up to his ear and said, "Yeah, Bakugou."

"Mr. Bakugou, this is Mitsuko from XX Hospital," a friendly female voice said on the other end, "I'm calling in regards to Ms. Ochako Uraraka?"

He sat up, the lingering sleepiness leaving him completely, "Yes."

"The doctor wanted me to inform you that she has woken up." Mitsuko said, "The concussion was more severe than we originally thought, but she will heal with no issues thanks to our hero team."

"So can I come see her?" Bakugou asked.

"Of course, but we do ask to keep noise at a minimum, so only one visitor will be permitted at a time."

"Sure, whatever." He said, already on his feet and moving to his closet, "What about Kirishima. Eijiro Kirishima, has he woken up yet?"

"I'm sorry Mr. Bakugou, I was not made aware of his condition." Mitsuko's voice was apologetic, "I can see how he is doing and inform you if you come to the hospital today."

"That would be great, thanks." He hung up, pulling a shirt over his head and pants around his waist. The journey to the hospital didn't take long, but to him it seemed like an eternity. Just knowing that Uraraka was awake and doing fine made him feel a bit better.

They had told him it was a concussion. Their healing team was working round the clock on Kirishima, so Uraraka was left to heal on her own unless the tests found something worrying. He had been assured it was a normal but severe concussion. So what the fuck did that mean? Was it normal, or was it bad? Did it look like he had a fucking PhD?

His knock was soft but firm on her hospital door, making her head swivel in his direction. All the stress and worry seemingly melted away as she sat up and grinned, "Hey Bakugou, do I look like a mummy?" And pointed at the bandages wrapped extensively around her head.

"You look like a dummy, that's what." He said quietly, feet frozen to where he stood, "Are you…alright?"

"I have a little headache," She shrugged, "but they're giving me some good pain meds for it. I can see why people get addicted to this stuff."

He remained silent, throat so thick he could barely swallow. She was so pale, dark circles rimming her eyes, the sockets bruised from the blow she took. The staff had her head so wrapped up in bandages, that he couldn't even see her chestnut hair.

And he was responsible.

"Are you just gonna stand there?" She asked, "You can come in, you know."

"I…I just-" His teeth mashed together, "Uraraka, I-"

"Don't." She said softly, "I already know what you're going to say, it was written on your face the minute you walked in. It's not your fault that I'm here. I'm here because I was a hero helping someone who needed it."

"You're here because I brought you there." He corrected, "I was the one who made you come."

She shook her head, "You didn't 'make' me go anywhere. I was there with you because I'm your partner. Your fight is my fight, no questions asked."

"For God's sake, Uraraka," he stepped forward, balling his fists, "for one second could you just be angry with me? Could you just tell me it's my fault and hate me, just once?"

"Why would I do that?" She asked, "I don't hate you, and I don't blame you. None of this was your fault, we all know what could happen when we become heroes. Besides, it was only a concussion."

"Don't do that." He said through his teeth, "Don't just brush it off."

"And don't be so prideful." Uraraka shot back, "Can't you just come give me a hug or something?

Bakugou sighed, his fists unballing and falling to his sides as he moved toward her. Wrapping his arms as snuggly as he dared around her, he said, "I'm glad you're alright."

Her voice was muffled against his shoulder, "I'm glad you are too. The doctors said you weren't injured. I was so relieved."

Sitting down in the chair next to her bed, he rested his chin in his palm and said, "You're lucky you only got a concussion, it should have been much worse."

"How's Kirishima?"

"I don't know." He shook his head, "They've had healers in his room since he got here. It doesn't sound good. They said he might not be able to do hero work again."

"Oh no." Uraraka frowned, "If that's the case, it'll destroy him. Ever since we've known him, all Kirishima could do was think about being a hero."

Bakugou felt his teeth grit together again, "Both of you were hurt and I wasn't. I don't understand."

"Hey," she took his hand in her own, "stop beating yourself up. You sound like an angsty teenager."

This made his lips quirk, "I do huh?"

"Yep."

He stood up, motioning for her to move over, and sat down in the spot next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She rested her head in the crook of his arm, her own draping across his middle. "You uh," He swallowed hard, "you didn't forget the other night, right?"

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"You know." His face heated up, "Like, how we kissed."

"We did?"

He twisted to look down at her, she really didn't remember? His big break was lost because of her concussion? But Uraraka was grinning, her lips tucked into her mouth to hold in her laugh. Bakugou nudged her, leaning back against the bed muttering, "You're not funny, round face."

"I am a little bit." She twisted over him, placing one hand on his chest, "How could I forget something like that? I waited a long time to be able to kiss you."

"You're telling me." He said, tracing her lips lightly with his thumb, "You were driving me crazy at the class reunion. That outfit…"

"What about it?"

"I wanted to take it right off."

Her cheeks glowed pink, and she grinned, "I can always put it back on for you."

"Yeah?" He leaned up, "It won't stay on for long."

Whatever she was going to say was stifled by his lips on hers, his left hand cupping the back of her head, the other resting on her lower back. Her lips were as soft as he remembered, tasting faintly like strawberry jello. Her voluptuous breasts pressed against him, her knee innocently pressing between his legs. She allowed him to slip his tongue past her lips, tangling with her own, her breath hot and sweet against his lips. It was when her teeth grazed his lower lip that he gently pushed against her shoulders, panting lightly, "I think…we better stop this here."

Her face was flushed, and she swallowed sharply, "Yeah, I think you're right." She settled back into her spot next to him, nestling her head in the crook of his arm again. Both of them drifted off into much needed sleep, lulled by the sound of the tv in the background.

* * *

"Hel- _lo_ lovebirds!"

Bakugou stirred to the sound of nails on a chalkboard, cracking one eye angrily open. Next to him, Uraraka sat up, groggily rubbing her eyes, "What the-"

"Where's the joy of seeing me, huh?"

Now that he had come-to, Bakugou sat up straighter. He would recognize that annoying voice anywhere. Seated at the foot of the bed, in a wheelchair, was the crimson-haired fucker himself. "Kirishima? What the fuck?"

"In the flesh." He said with a grin, hair sticking up every which way from the bandages enveloping his head, "Aren't you happy to see me?"  
"Kirishima!" Uraraka beamed at him, "You're awake?"

"Yep, been up for a couple hours."

"Aren't you not supposed to be up and about right now?" Bakugou muttered, "Last I saw you, you looked like a piece of ground up sausage."

"That's how you look everyday." Kirishima grinned, "I have a freakishly high healing rate, especially when the city's best are working on me. Still a little sore, but I've been worse."

"You dumbass." Bakugou rose to his feet, but couldn't help but grin, "This is the first and last time you'll hear this, but I'm glad you're alright."

Kirishima put a hand over his heart, "Bakugou, I'm touched."

"Touched in the head."

"I'm also glad you're alright, Kirishima." Uraraka said, pulling the blankets up to her chin, "We were really worried. Does Mina know?"

He shook his head, "The nurse is calling her now. I can't wait to see her."

"This was the first time she left hospital." Bakugou muttered, "She was a mess. I've never seen someone cry so much."

Kirishima's goofy smile faded slightly, "I'm mad I made her sad. Real men don't make girls cry."

"Mr. Kirishima!" A nurse came through the door, sighing in relief upon seeing him, "Please, Mr. Kirishima don't run off like that. You just got done going through extensive treatment and your wounds aren't all healed yet!"

"But I feel fine."

"Because you're on morphine."

"Oh shit, I am?" He waved goodbye to Bakugou and Uraraka as the nurse wheeled him out, "Glad you guys are okay!"

"What an annoying asshole." Bakugou muttered as the door closed, "Already making trouble for the staff."

"I'm glad he's okay though." Uraraka said, watching as Bakugou got back into the hospital bed, resting her head against his shoulder. "I was worried when the doctors told me his condition this morning."

His eyes watched as she traced her fingers up and down his arm, "Are you hungry? Need anything?"

She shook her head, "Just you."

They sat in silence for another moment, before she said, "Hey, Bakugou?"

"Hmm?"

"Will you promise you won't go after those guys alone?" Her voice was quiet, as if she was afraid to ask, "Look what they did to Kirishima, I don't want that to happen to you."

Considering that he was currently suspended from the agency, he wouldn't be going after anyone soon, unless he went rogue. He'd thought about it, but if he did that, he would most likely lose any chance of being put back on the agency. He couldn't risk that, not when there was no suspicion of the kidnapped kids being harmed. They would figure this out the right way, the way he should have done in the first place.

"I promise." He said, "I won't go after them without backup and a plan."

She looked up at him, chocolate eyes meeting crimson ones, "You really have changed since high school. You would have gone without another thought back then."

"Yeah, well," He shrugged, "now I have you to worry about."

"I'm glad you came to the class reunion." She said, "I know it sounds dumb to say it now, but I really am."

"I wasn't going to."

"I know."

"Are you really sure?"

"About what?"

He sighed, "Me instead of Deku? Really? I probably won't be able to give you what he could."

She shook her head, "I didn't want what he could give me. Material things don't matter when someone you love doesn't love you back. Besides, I don't care about those things, as long as I'm with the person I'm supposed to be with."

"And you really think that's me?"

"I do. Do you?"

He blew a puff of air out of his nose, "I've known it was you since the sports festival. It's always been you, Uraraka."

"Then why didn't you say something? We could have avoided a lot of this."

"Because of the way you looked at Deku." He answered, "I didn't think you could ever look at me like that."

"Well I am right now." She leaned up to kiss his cheek, "And I will be until you tell me to stop."

He turned onto his side to face her, "Well then you're going to be staring for a fucking while."

"You're lucky you're handsome then."

* * *

 ** _A/N: This is gonna be a long one folks, so buckle up!_**

 ** _Holy mackerel you guys, I didn't mean to take this long of a break. I apologize! Work and life got so crazy, I've had a lot of stuff happen since my last chapter. I got a new apartment, dated and broke up with someone I really care about, and it's just been hectic._**

 ** _Honestly, I also needed to take a break from writing for a little bit, because I felt like I wasn't producing my best work, and that's something I can't do. I want everything I put out to be something I'm proud of, and I was losing that. This chapter is sort of a filler so that you guys know I haven't given up!_**

 ** _So if you're still with me, I'm hoping to produce chapters like I was when this story first started!_**

 ** _I started this chapter on friday, but then realized that the Punisher season 2 was out on netflix. No offense to Baku and Ura, but Frank Castle takes precedence always. Netflix did an amazing job on this series, and if it gets canceled like the rest, I will riot. Definitely my favorite show that I've seen in a while._**

 ** _So anyway, I wrote this chapter mostly at a Target Starbucks, so I hope you enjoy! Also, if there's weird typos or punctuation mistakes, I apologize. I've read through this about five times, so hopefully I got everything, but if not, oops. I just got a MacBook Pro, so I'm adjusting to Mac stuff._**

 ** _Ok so if I miss responding to anyone, I apologize. It's been a while and I didn't respond on my last chapter!_**

 ** _NumberSixteen: Thank you for reading, hopefully I'll stay up to date now!_**

 ** _Kungroo7: We'll for sure have a Mina reaction in the next chapter, just you wait!_**

 ** _Awkwardmarmar: Honestly, I'm still thinking about writing a Kiribaku one-shot. I love their ship as well. Thanks for the review!_**

 ** _Clarissa Kirishima: I love to keep things interesting. I'm a fan of ruining happy moments in my fics, kind of an asshole thing to do, but its oh so fun. Thanks for the review my friend!_**

 ** _Chinitadere: Thank you for an in-depth review! I always try to make my stories different from the same mold, but I'm not sure if they ever are. I take comfort in you saying it is! And what is a story without a little whiplash am I right?_**

 ** _Conchito: Don't cry! I'm glad you enjoyed it!_**

 ** _Zeensu30: I'm a sucker for hot makeout sessions, I'll admit. We'll see a few more if I have anything to say about it! (Which I do!)_**

 ** _Guest: I'm glad you like it!_**

 ** _UC3: O!_**

 ** _Guest: I'm honestly so honored you called in sick to read my story. Everyone deserves a break every once in a while!_**

 ** _Expkeyblademaster13: Villains are just the worst. Bakugou and Uraraka are trying to kiss here. Thanks for the review!_**

 ** _Poprocx: Thanks for the review, my favorite ship as well!_**

 ** _Rhearenee: Welcome back friend! Thanks for the review, and I hope you're still around! Kirishina does have the worst of luck, doesn't he?_**

 ** _Kur0shiro: Hope you're still here, it's been a while!_**

 ** _Guest: I'm happy you liked it!_**

 ** _Anemone: Thank you for the kind words, I'm hoping to be back for real this time!_**

 ** _ScribbleSongs: You're very welcome, I'm happy I could make you laugh! As of right now I have no plans for a steamy M rated scene. People could probably sway me, though. If that happens, you have my word I'll have a warning!_**

 ** _Badwolf123456: I know right?_**

 ** _Alright, I think that's everyone!_**

 ** _Until next time!_**


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